Your Majesty
by Healthy Obsession
Summary: An AU in which Kurt is a prince, Blaine is a knight, Karofsky is an evil Lord and it all goes from there, romance, drama and maybe even a few fights along the way. Tentatively rated T for now, may go up. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I'm back again, with another Glee fanfic. This one is quite a bit different from the last, though, the main reason being that this is an AU. The second one being that this is a Klaine story. Puckurt is so last year :D Anyway, I'm very proud of this. It's my baby and I'm trying so hard to keep the characters all within their bounds, while still making it an AU. You will notice that the characters I'm not very fond of will end up disappearing without much explaination. It's a bad habit I haven't yet broken myself of.**

**This AU was inspired by a picture on dA, by Jinshu. Link is here, just take out the spaces: http:/ www. jinshu. deviantart. com/ gallery/ 27110570#/ d33e0hs **

**This is the first chapter, and I have written seven so far. I expect the final count will be twelve, plus an epilogue. Don't expect an update too soon, however, because I'm using this chapter to gauge an interest, and I'm scared that if I update too quickly, I'll run out of chapters and leave you hanging for months. Sorry in advance if that happens anyway. Another apology should also be said now, because I am British, and thus there are probably far too many British words and phrases in here.**

**As this is my baby, I will take this oppotunity to beg for reviews. Please, I am _so_ insecure about my ability to write fanfiction that just dropping me a note to say that you liked it makes my week, let alone my day. I am grateful for every hit and favourite, but a review is the best. So please, please, please, _please_, if you liked it: review. If you hated it: review. If you want to talk about cheese: review.**

**Bloated author's note is now over. On with the story. Oh, and I don't own Glee.**

1.

Once there was a great kingdom, run by a good and honourable King. King Bertram, or just Burt to his family, had run the kingdom well from the main city of Lima, as well as marrying his true love and having a son and heir, Prince Kurt. But when the prince was eight, his mother the queen died. The entire kingdom mourned the loss, and some whispered that the king would never be the same again.

Years passed and the people watched their prince grow up into the image of his dead mother. When Prince Kurt was sixteen, his father remarried a widowed noblewoman named Carole, who became Queen. She had a son of her own, Finn, who was about Kurt's age. Burt adopted him, making Finn a prince of the kingdom as well, though not heir, as Kurt was a few months older. The boys were about as different as you could be, but got on rather well for step-brothers.

It probably helped that they didn't share actual blood.

This state of affairs continued quite happily until both princes turned eighteen and the subject turned to marriage…

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up in the usual way, by the sound of his door being gently opened and the soft footsteps of one of the maids as she entered the room, She always tried to be quiet and not wake him, despite Kurt explaining that he was a light sleeper and short of her not making any noise at all, he was going to wake. He waited for her to draw back the drapes from around his four poster bed before greeting her pleasantly.<p>

"Good morning, Quinn."

Quinn jumped, putting a hand to her heart and exclaiming "Oh! Don't make me jump like that, my Lord. You'll give me a heart attack one of these days!"

Kurt laughed and swung his legs out of bed, making his way over to his breakfast where it was all laid out. He began to eat, gesturing for Quinn to join him. The cook always gave him too much, she thought he had to be fattened up.

"What's my name, Quinn?"

"Kurt."

"Then use it, please? I tell you this nearly every week, it's incredibly weird to hear people my own age calling me 'my Lord' or 'Your Highness'."

Quinn smiled "You'll make a brilliant King, Kurt. Speaking of which, your father wants to see you this morning, so don't go to Mr Shuester straight away."

Kurt raised his eyebrows as he finished his meal "My father? I wonder what he might want. Thank you, Quinn."

Quinn curtseyed, and when Kurt glared, just gave him an impish grin before cleaning up and leaving. Kurt sighed and walked into his en-suite to start getting ready. It took him an average time of a hour to finish preparing to face the world, which, considering his standards, was quite quick.

He then left his room and headed for the throne room. This was where his father conducted his state affairs, so that was where he would be this morning. On the way there, Kurt ran into his step-brother, Finn, and the two of them walked the rest of the way together, discussing what could be going on.

"Do you think it's bad news?"

"Why would it be that, Finn?"

Finn shrugged "I dunno. He hardly ever asks to see the both of us at the same time."

Kurt frowned "I suppose. What was the last time?"

"They were getting married."

"Oh. Well, that was a good thing."

Finn shrugged again and stopped the conversation. It was in silence that they reached the throne room and were admitted by the two guards. Burt and Carole were sitting to one side of the room, with two empty chairs opposite them. The boys took their seats and Finn immediately burst out with "Is it bad news?"

Burt and Carole shared a look before Carole answered "That depends on your point of view, darling."

Kurt crossed his arms and stared at his dad "Come on, Dad. Just spill it."

Burt took a deep breath and, looking really uncomfortable, began "You know there's a law that states that a prince has to be married before he takes the throne. Now you're both eighteen, it's come into effect. You have to start looking for a marriage partner."

"Hang on, but I'm not going to be King." Finn protested. "Why do I have to do this as well?"

Burt opened his mouth, but Kurt got there first. Looking at the floor, he said quietly "Because I'm gay."

Burt nodded, relieved he hadn't been the one to say it "That's right. Finding a husband for Kurt will be much harder than finding a wife for you. The likelihood is, that when I decide to retire, Kurt may well be still unmarried."

Finn looked sick "So I'll inherit instead."

Carole smiled "That's right, sweetie."

Finn stood abruptly "I can't do that! It's not fair on Kurt. He's been born and bred to be a King. I'm barely even a prince!"

Kurt sighed, not moving from his seated position "Don't be silly Finn. I imagine most of the kingdom would prefer you to be King anyway. Is that all, Dad?"

Burt nodded "Yeah, get on to that tutor of yours."

Kurt stood and left, dragging a reluctant Finn by the arm. Once they were out of the door, Finn jerked his arm free and protested loudly "I was not being silly!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face "I know, Finn, but if I didn't treat it like it was, my dad would have been even more upset than he was."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Come on, we'll be late for Mr Shue."

Mr Shuester, or Shue as Kurt called him, had been Kurt's tutor since he was five years old, so he was an old and valued member of the household. He had taught Kurt to read and write, then as he got older, he was taught Philosophy, Economics, Politics and Literature, as well as elocution and the manners and poise needed from a member of the Royal Family. Finn had needed a lot of work on those last two.

The other thing Kurt was very grateful to Mr Shue for was, when Kurt's mother died, Mr Shue was the one that kept singing with Kurt, and turning him into an admittedly wonderful singer like his mother.

They arrived quite late, but clearly Mr Shue had been warned and just started his lesson. This one was on Economics, which neither Kurt or Finn were very good at, so the four hours dragged. Once the lesson was over, Mr Shue informed them that the athletics coach, Sue Sylvester, had decided not to coach them today, so they had the afternoon to themselves.

Finn decided to go and practice with the knights, as some of them were his friends. One in particular, Noah Puckerman or Puck, as he preferred, had known Finn since they were both children. Kurt tagged along, because, hey, sweaty muscular men doing a lot of thrusting and bending over. If there was going to be a show, Kurt might as well take advantage of it. So Kurt sat by the fence enclosing the practice field, under a tree so that he was carefully out of the way of the wind and any rough-housing that was bound to happen.

Most of the knights, and Finn were just in lightly padded gear rather than full armour, as it was simpler to get into for practice and the exercise would keep them warm, but two of them, not far from where Kurt was sitting, were in full armour and were fighting all out, not pulling any strikes. They both had helmets on, so Kurt couldn't see either of them. Nevertheless, his eyes remained on the sparring pair. It was a stunning display of swordsmanship, the likes of which Kurt hadn't seen on that field for a long time.

Eventually, the fight came to an end and both knights pulled off their helmets. Kurt recognised neither, which meant they weren't part of Finn's circle, but one of them absolutely took his breath away.

He was small, shorter than Kurt (who by his own admission was shorter than the average man), but that just had the effect of making this man's frame seem so much more muscular. His skin was an olive tone, hinting at an outdoorsy type of upbringing and his hair, though cut quite short, was clearly very curly and pitch black.

The man shook his opponent's hand, grinning, showing off white teeth, before turning and catching Kurt's eye. Kurt looked away immediately and pretended to be watching Finn, while all the time keeping the man in the corner of his eye…

_Oh!_

He had climbed over the fence, gone to the nearby water pump and started the water, splashing it all over his face in an attempt to cool down. Kurt swallowed, before getting up, taking a breath and casually (he hoped) walking over to him.

"That was a good match. Well done for winning."

Surprised eyes flashed up to meet his briefly, before dropping again and the response was both polite and short. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Kurt was still processing the shock of seeing the man's eyes (traditionally called hazel, but Kurt felt they were far too pretty to have such a plain label), so the addition of a deep calm voice was nearly the end of him and Kurt struggled not to blush like an eleven-year-old milkmaid.

It looked like the man was nearly finished, so Kurt quickly asked another question in an attempt to get him to stay. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before."

The reply was just as polite and as distant as the first. "I am not new to Knighthood, Your Highness, but I am new to this city, which is why Your Highness hasn't seen me before."

Okay, politeness was one thing, but the formality was starting to get on Kurt's nerves now "You can stop the 'Your Highness' business, okay?"

"Yes, my Prince."

Kurt opened his mouth to give this knight (whose name he _still_ didn't know) a through dressing-down, but then caught another flash of those gorgeous eyes, dancing with mischief, and a small grin on his face.

Kurt glared "You're teasing me, aren't you?"

The reply came out choked "Just a bit."

"Well, stop it!"

There was a gasp of laughter, before the knight got himself back under control and said "I'm sorry, but you scared me and I reacted with humour."

"I scared you? How?"

"The heir to the throne, watching my sparring match and then coming over to talk to me. I had no idea what you were going to do."

This time, Kurt laughed "I've never been called scary before. I think I like it."

The man smiled, before bowing and introducing himself "My name's Blaine Anderson. It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Kurt."

"Likewise, Sir Blaine."

Blaine pulled his armour off, carefully setting it on the ground before flopping down next to it and asking "Are you fond of swordplay?

Kurt lowered himself to the ground beside Blaine more elegantly before replying "I'm not fond of engaging in it myself, but when it's well done, I like to watch. Your fight was well done."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. I have very high standards."

"Does nobody else on the field match your standards?"

Kurt threw a cursory glance around before answering firmly "No."

Blaine smiled as he stood "That's very kind of you." He bowed smartly. "I have somewhere to be, if you'll release me?"

Kurt couldn't stop the disappointment crossing his face as he nodded and watched Blaine gather up his armour and head back to the armoury. While it did give him a nice opportunity to admire Blaine's figure, Kurt would still prefer his company. Kurt didn't see any point in continuing to hang around, so decided to go and practice the sport he liked: archery.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until later, when Kurt was in bed, that he and Finn got a chance to properly discuss the news they had been given that morning. Finn had crept into Kurt's room and sat down on his bed, beginning with "So I've been thinking…"<p>

"Oh, that's what the noise was."

Finn glared "You're bitchy when you're tired."

"Finn, I'm always like this. You just haven't noticed."

"Anyway, I was thinking: Do you think we get to choose?"

Kurt frowned "I think within reason, yeah. Why, who do you have your eye on?"

Finn smiled the goofiest smile Kurt had ever seen as he replied "Rachel Berry."

Kurt raised an eyebrow "Rachel Berry? That shrill little madam. How can you bear it?"

"What?"

"The constant noise. She doesn't shut up and it's always all about her. She'll be the type of wife that sends you deaf with nagging within the first year."

Finn shrugged, the goofy grin not shifting "I kind of tune it out. Besides, I don't care."

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you. So, are you going to introduce her to my dad and Carole?"

"Maybe. I need to talk to her first."

Kurt shook his head "I thought you had better taste, Finn. I mean, she's about as different from Quinn as you can get."

"Quinn was just a crush!"

"Sure she was."

"She was! Is there anyone you like?"

Blinking at the sudden change in subject, Kurt responded defensively "No, of course not!"

Finn didn't believe him "Come on, there's got to be someone who's caught your eye."

"Well…" Kurt considered everything Finn could do or say and decided it was worth the risk.

"What do you know about a knight called Blaine Anderson?"

Finn stared a bit before shrugging "Not much."

"You must know _something_. How old is he?"

"Nineteen."

Kurt made a waving motion with his hand "And?"

"He's from somewhere west of here, I can't remember the name. He was knighted about a year ago."

"Anything else? Has he got family and friends?"

"Back where he comes from, yeah. None here in Lima."

"So why is he here?"

"No idea. He doesn't talk about himself."

Kurt laid back down as Finn got up to leave, mulling over the mysterious boy that was Blaine Anderson. He might not know anything about him, he might have only meet him a grand total of ten hours ago, but he still couldn't wait to see him tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>You made it to the end, congrats! I now take this oppotunity to shout out to a very good friend of mine, Lady Selia from dA, who promised me faithfully she would read this. Hi, sweetie!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so these chapters should be going up about once a week. This one is coming a bit early because I'm out on duty all day tomorrow and working all day Monday. I'm writing Chapter 9 right now, so hopefully I'll be able to stay ahead alright. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, especially Squid7000 (I'm sorry I couldn't reply to your review, for some reason Fanfiction wouldn't let me), who was kind enough to say that she thought my portrayals of Finn and Kurt were well-written. I hope you enjoy Mercedes as well!**

**Once again, I don't own Glee. I don't even own this idea :D**

* * *

><p>2.<p>

The next day, after the lessons for the day were over (why philosophy was supposed to make you a better king, Kurt had no idea), Finn was going to see Rachel and offered to take Kurt with him and drop him off at Mercedes' home. Mercedes was a daughter of a nobleman and Kurt's best friend. She was the first to know that he was gay and had promised to marry him if his father hadn't understood.

While Kurt loved her dearly, he was glad it hadn't come to that. It would have made them both unhappy.

When Kurt met up with Finn, he saw the real reason Finn had asked him along. As members of the royal family, neither young man was allowed outside of the palace grounds without at least one escort. The escorts this time were Michael Chang, or Mike, one of Finn's friends and… Blaine Anderson.

Kurt didn't know whether to kill Finn or to hug him.

He settled for throwing Finn a _look_, before mounting his horse, a stallion called Moran. Blaine came to stand placidly by Moran's head and waited until Finn moved forward. There was a slightly awkward silence which extended all the way to Rachel's home, but when Kurt and Blaine moved off on their own, the conversation just seemed to spark.

Kurt broke the silence by asking "Are you okay from yesterday?"

Blaine nodded his head "Yeah, I'm fine. Just bruised, nothing more. Means the armour will work if I ever have to fight for real."

Kurt nodded "So, where are you from? You said you were new to Lima."

"I come from a town called Westerville. I trained at a place called Dalton."

Kurt smiled "That explains it. Only the best knights come out of Dalton."

Blaine ducked his head "You're too kind, Prince Kurt. I'm sure I'm not that much better than the knights trained here."

"Oh, believe me, you are. McKinley is Lima's training school. Heard of it?"

Blaine thought for a bit and then shook his head "No."

"Exactly. Don't get me wrong, Puck, Mike and Finn aren't bad, but they're some of the best to come out of McKinley, and they're nothing compared to you."

Blaine went quiet and Kurt wondered if he'd overwhelmed the young man, but didn't have time to ask as they came up to Mercedes' home and the girl herself came running out into the courtyard. Kurt slid rather quickly off Moran and the two best friends hugged tightly.

Kurt looked around at Blaine, who just bowed and said "I will make sure Moran's comfortable and then come back for you later."

Kurt's blue-green eyes shone with gratitude, before being dragged off by Mercedes. They went up to Mercedes' dayroom and she made herself comfortable before demanding "Spill!"

Kurt grinned "About what?"

"Everything! Am I going to have to marry you?"

"No! No, there's nothing in the law that says I have to marry a girl, so you've been reprieved."

"That's good. No offence, Kurt, but I've got my eye on some other hot body."

"Ooh, really? Tell me everything!"

Mercedes blushed, a huge smile on her face as she replied "There's not much to tell. His dad and mine are partners in a new business idea, and this guy, his name's Anthony, he's been following his dad around to learn how to take over one day. He's a bit older than me but he's really shy."

"I have to see him."

"I'll try and get you over at the same time. They usually come at a regular time."

Kurt rubbed his hands together "Excellent. So, how's your brother? Where's he now?"

"Darrell's in Salem right now. He sent us a letter about a week ago and we got it yesterday, which means he's probably moved on already."

"Where's he due next?"

"Ravenna. Enough about me, what about you? Spot any potential hubbies yet?"

Kurt shook his head "I'm not really looking. You can't tell from looking whether someone's gay- well, most of the time. What's the point of looking if it's more than likely I won't have a chance?"

Mercedes snorted, an unladylike sound that only Kurt, and possibly her brother, had ever had the privilege to hear. It said more than she could ever put into words and Kurt responded accordingly by rolling his eyes before they both collapsed into laughter.

After a few minutes, Mercedes wiped her eyes and said "Seriously though, there's no-one? What about that knight that escorted you? He's cute."

Kurt's blush gave him away and Mercedes pounced "You _do_ like him."

"Yeah, I do. But he's such a mystery. He doesn't talk about himself at all."

"Well, if you like him, your dad wouldn't mind you marrying a knight, would he?"

"I suppose not. They tend to come from noble families, younger sons and all that. Do you think he is?"

A knock on the door made both of their heads whip around and Blaine carefully put his head around the door and said respectfully "I'm sorry to interrupt, Prince Kurt, Lady Mercedes, but it's nearing the time where we have to meet Prince Finn and Lady Rachel to head back to the palace. If you'll come down in ten minutes…?"

Kurt nodded and Blaine withdrew. Kurt put his head in his hands and whispered "My God, do you think he heard?"

"Boy, he's still human! There would have been some expression on his face. Your secret's safe… for now."

"Mercedes! You wouldn't!"

"No, so long as you will. There's your choice, Kurt. You need to make a move, or your dad will end up choosing for you."

"I hate you."

Mercedes hugged him "No you don't. Now, get on down them steps. There's a handsome knight waiting for you."

Kurt hugged her back "I've missed talking to you, baby girl. I'll see you soon."

Kurt went downstairs, joined Blaine and went outside, mounting Moran and setting off at a walk so Blaine could keep up on foot. They met up with Finn and Rachel, on her own horse, and Mike on foot in between the two of them. They all made their way back to the palace, Rachel talking nineteen to the dozen and the rest of them pretending to listen.

There was a dinner planned, nothing too formal, but it was silently understood that this was different and that Rachel was there for a reason. Finn had been calling on her for about a year now, but this was the first time she had come to the palace and the first time he had mentioned her seriously. Burt and Carole came out to greet her and Carole immediately took her out of the way so Burt could talk to Finn.

Burt watched Rachel disappear around a corner before asking "So this is the girl?"

Finn nodded "Yes."

"And you're sure? This can't be undone."

"I asked her father's permission while I was over there today. The only reason he hasn't come to see you as well is because he thinks Rachel would prefer not to have him present."

"Okay, so you did this properly. Does she know what's coming?"

Finn shrugged "I don't think so. Coming here's pretty big to her anyway."

Kurt interrupted, feeling as if something was being left out "Wait a minute… Are you proposing to her _tonight_?"

"Yes."

Kurt gaped, before spinning on his heel and walking off, muttering something about checking on Moran. He headed to the stables, head whirling. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Finn, or that he disapproved of Rachel, she might be annoying, but she made Finn happy, it was just…

Just what?

Kurt tried to stop thinking as he burst into Moran's stable and stopped in surprise. Instead of a stable boy, it was Blaine, dressed in just black trousers and a loose red top, grooming Moran, murmuring to the stallion soothingly. Blaine had looked up in surprise as Kurt ran in and now both boys were just staring at each other.

Kurt spoke first "What are you doing?"

"Taking care of Moran. I like horses and it looked like you and your family had something to discuss, so I took Moran back to the stables myself."

Kurt didn't answer and there was a few seconds silence before Blaine stepped around Moran and asked hesitantly "I can see that there's something that's upset you. Is there anything I can do?"

"No. There's nothing."

Blaine stepped forward a little "I can just be a willing ear. I can listen…"

"There's nothing! Just leave me alone!"

"Prince Kurt…"

"Leave me alone! Just _get out_!"

Blaine's face went blank as he set down the curry comb and replied in a monotone "Yes, Your Highness."

Blaine walked out without looking back. Kurt felt bad for about a minute before his own despair overwhelmed those feelings and he hugged Moran around the neck, burying his face in the sweet-smelling mane. It was in this position that Burt found him.

"Kurt?"

Kurt looked up "What is it?"

"I was going to ask you that. Finn's really upset. He thinks it's his fault."

"It isn't."

"So what's going on, son?"

Kurt sighed "I think I'm jealous."

Burt put his hand on Kurt's shoulder gently "I thought it might be that. Jealous of Rachel?"

"No, I think I'm jealous of Finn."

Burt frowned "Why? You don't like Rachel…"

"Because!" Kurt exclaimed "Because you only told us yesterday and Finn's already found someone, someone who actually loves him and isn't with him for power or position and how is it fair that Finn gets someone like that so easily and I might never ever have that!"

Burt looked at his son only very briefly before hugging him. Kurt hugged his dad back tightly and whispered "I just wish Mom was here, that's all. I mean, Carole's lovely, but she's not Mom."

"I know, Kurt. I know. I'm sorry."

Kurt drew away "You don't have to be. None of it's your fault."

"None of it's yours either. Now, are you coming in to embarrass Finn in front of Rachel?"

Kurt laughed weakly and nodded. As they began to walk back, Burt clicked his fingers as if just remembering something "I had someone come to me today and ask permission to meet you. It was the Karofsky boy, you know, Paul Karofsky's son… Dave. Would you like to meet him?"

Kurt thought very quickly of Blaine, but knew after the way he had spoken to him tonight, even if he'd had a chance before, he didn't now. So Kurt nodded and said "Yeah Dad. I would."

They went into dinner together and after the three-course meal (just because they were royalty didn't mean they were excessive), they were starting coffee and the chat had started to ebb as three out of the five people seated at the table stared at Finn, willing him to get on with it.

With Rachel still chatting away obliviously, Kurt leant over and muttered to Finn "If you don't ask her _now_, I swear I will find a way to make you regret it. Don't test me."

Finn swallowed and stood, reaching out to catch Rachel's attention and taking her hand to help her out of her seat and into a standing position.

With their hands still loosely linked, Finn began "Uh, you all know I'm not very good with words, which is why I'm just going to show you…"

He got down on one knee and held out a slim gold ring, set with a single diamond, cut into a circle and set around the diamond were little rubies. Rachel gasped as Finn continued.

"This was my mom's engagement ring from my father and I want you to have it. I want to marry you, Rachel, and this law has just given me the courage to ask you. So please, please, say you'll be my wife."

Rachel didn't even hesitate, throwing her arms around Finn's neck and crying "Yes, Finn!"

Carole had burst into tears about a minute ago, and Kurt was struggling not to join her as he got up to congratulate the newly-engaged couple. As he hugged Finn, Finn whispered "I know you'll find someone, brother."

Kurt joined his step-mother in tears.

Damn Finn.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the shortest chapter so far, and I am so ashamed of it being so short, that to appease you (and beg you not to murder me once you reach the end of this chapter), I'm uploading the next chapter later on this evening. So don't murder me otherwise that won't happen.**

**I'd like to clarify now that I am not now and have never been a Kurtofsky shipper. It makes me physically sick, and if you've seen my profile page, you'll know how much I hate Karofsky. But there has to be some troubles, and Glee itself took some time to get Kurt and Blaine together, even though it was obvious that they were meant to be, so I'm following that.**

**Thank you all for your kind alerts and reviews. I have loved every single one, though I can't help but notice the difference between the amount of alerts and the amount of reviews, so I take this opportunity to remind you that there is nothing authors (especially this one!) like better than having feedback. Please, if you have something to say, review. It'll make me so happy :D**

**I still don't own Glee.**

* * *

><p>3.<p>

One week later and Kurt was miserable. Oh, he was still happy for Finn and Rachel, and he still had the prospect of meeting this Dave Karofsky, but one very important thing was missing from his life.

Blaine.

Ever since Kurt had snapped at Blaine, the knight had disappeared. Kurt knew from Finn that Blaine hadn't gone back to Westerville, so the conclusion had to be that Blaine was avoiding him.

Kurt wasn't having that, so after the knights' practice one day, Kurt went into the armoury and cornered Blaine. Before he could get a word out, Kurt said "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I was upset and you were the first person I came across."

Blaine looked at Kurt in silence for a few seconds before bowing and saying "Apology accepted, my Lord."

"Kurt."

Blaine looked confused so Kurt clarified "I'm still Kurt to you. No need for formalities."

Blaine smiled his wonderful smile and Kurt felt himself go weak at the knees a little, before pulling himself together and adding "There was another reason I was looking for you. You know about Finn's engagement, and there's a party this evening. I was wondering if you'd come. Be my guest."

"Not Mercedes?"

"Mercedes is coming anyway, and she wants to bring her boy. Please, I'd like your company."

Blaine grinned delightedly "Okay then, I'll come. Any particular dress code?"

"Just be smart."

Kurt turned and walked away, hiding a massive smile and inwardly squealing like a little girl. Blaine was coming! As Kurt headed into the palace, his dad caught sight of him and called him over. Kurt went over and raised an eyebrow in question.

"I just thought you'd like to know that Paul and Dave Karofsky are coming tonight and you'll be introduced."

Kurt remembered, and was about to say that he didn't want to meet this Dave, not now he knew that Blaine had forgiven him, but he was stopped as his dad clapped him on the shoulder and said quietly "I'm really pleased you've given this boy a chance, Kurt. He's a good choice."

Kurt swallowed and nodded. His dad approved. Considering how uncomfortable Burt could get when discussing boys with Kurt, this was practically tantamount to Burt saying that he wanted Kurt to marry this Dave Karofsky.

Just like that, all Kurt's choices were taken away from him. His dad was already doing so much to make it alright, with the kingdom and the law, that Kurt was gay, the least Kurt could do was marry the person his dad wanted, even if his heart would probably always belong to another.

Sighing, Kurt turned away after reassuring his dad that he wanted to meet Dave Karofsky and made his way to his room, all the joy at inviting Blaine drained out of him. Upon reaching his room, Kurt did something very uncharacteristic and flopped face first into his bed, not caring that he was crumpling up his clothes. He groaned in despair.

"Kurt?"

Kurt looked up and sighed "Oh, Quinny."

Quinn sat down next to him and placed a hand on his back "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. At least, nothing I didn't expect."

"Kurt…"

Kurt sat up and patted Quinn's hand "Don't worry, Quinn. There's nothing either you or I can do, and that's just how it is."

Quinn hesitated slightly, before throwing her arms around Kurt's neck and hugging him tightly. Kurt, taken by surprise, hugged her carefully back.

When Quinn pulled away, she was wiping away tears from her eyes as she muttered "I wouldn't want to be a prince for anything."

"Well, of course not."

Quinn frowned at him.

Kurt laughed "Because you'd be a princess for a start."

Quinn smiled back "I suppose."

"Honestly, Quinny, I'm fine. I just needed a little time to get my head together."

"Is it bad news?"

"No. Just… resigning news. Don't listen to me, Quinn. The maids have tonight off, don't they? Go and enjoy yourself."

Quinn curtseyed and began to leave. As she reached the door, she turned and replied "So long as you promise to do the same."

Kurt nodded.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the double doors to the already crowded ballroom were opened and Kurt stood there for a few seconds, before elegantly descending the staircase as he was announced. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, Finn and Rachel (who had gone ahead) had disappeared, but Blaine was waiting for him with a soft smile.<p>

He was dressed in greens and golds, emphasizing the colours in his eyes. Kurt smiled back and Blaine offered his arm courteously. Kurt tucked his hand into the crook of Blaine's arm and they began to move off. Blaine's usually loose curly hair had been slicked back somehow and the scruff that generally covered Blaine's jaw had been shaved off, his skin smooth and clear. Kurt found himself constantly glancing at Blaine and then looking away, scared to catch his hazel eyes.

Blaine led him along the edges of the room, snagging two glasses of red wine and handing one to Kurt, who sipped daintily. Blaine tucked them into a corner and raised his glass.

"To your step-brother and Lady Rachel. May they be happy together."

Kurt clinked his glass against Blaine's and they both drank. Blaine looked around and pointed through the crowd "They're dancing already."

Kurt leaned over so he could see Finn and Rachel, which placed him at an awkward angle. Blaine seemingly casually wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist to support him. Kurt felt the heat and the weight of the limb and drew back, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, I suspect they'll be sickeningly romantic for the entire night."

Blaine grinned "Are you not a romantic, my Lord?"

"Kurt, Blaine. My name's Kurt."

"Sorry."

"And to answer your question, I think I would be, with the right person."

"And who's that?"

Kurt had to restrain himself from blurting out '_you._'

"You're awfully comfortable with asking me that. Most guys are a bit more nervous about…"

"Talking boys? I'm not most guys, Kurt. I'm gay."

Kurt stared, a mix of hope and regret in his chest as the beautiful boy opposite him told him that actually, Kurt had always had a chance and that he hadn't had to pick the other boy. But it was too late. It was all too late.

"Uh, Kurt?"

Kurt blinked, before meeting Blaine's confused gaze and saying "I'm fine, Blaine. I just… have to go."

Kurt got up and tried to leave, but Blaine, now with a puzzled frown on his face, caught Kurt's arm gently and asked "Did I do something wrong?"

Kurt firmly disentangled his arm from Blaine's grip and replied "No. My father wanted to see me. He's going to introduce to the man that I will marry."

This time, when Kurt walked away, Blaine didn't try to stop him. Kurt didn't look back, but if he had, he would have the momentary flash of utter heartbreak that crossed Blaine's face, before he managed to school his features.

Kurt, as he expected, didn't get far before hearing his dad call his name. Kurt turned and saw that he was accompanied by two men, the older one looking a lot like his dad and the younger one… well.

He was dressed finely for the occasion in a suit of navy blue, which had clearly been tailored especially for him. He was tall, easily eclipsing both Kurt and his dad, and he was also quite wide. He was solidly built and Kurt felt very fragile next to him. His face wasn't exactly pleasant, but like the rest of him, it was strong and solid. He had short brown hair and brown eyes.

The four men met and Burt made the introductions "Kurt, this is Paul Karofsky and his son, Dave."

Both men bowed and Kurt inclined his head. Dave, then, at a gesture from his father, offered his arm to Kurt in the same manner Blaine had done earlier that evening. Kurt couldn't help but compare him to Blaine, who had done that without having to be prompted.

'_No, stop._' Kurt scolded himself '_Give him a chance. It's not his fault you're already totally in love with Blaine…_'

They were silent for most of the rest of the evening, the conversation, when it did happen, was stilted and broken, though enough for Kurt to surmise that the two of them had absolutely nothing in common. Kurt caught sight of Blaine every now and again, sometimes dancing, sometimes talking with his fellow knights, but always with this pleasant smile on his face. Kurt was glad that at least one of them as having fun.

The party came to an end, and Kurt arranged to meet with Dave again, later on in the week. He tried to inject as much enthusiasm in his voice as he could, but he suspected it still fell kind of flat.

As he headed out of the ballroom, he caught Mercedes and asked "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Can I come round? I really need to talk to you."

Mercedes smiled "Of course, Kurt. You don't need to ask."


	4. Chapter 4

**And as promised, the next chapter is here. I adore this chapter, for reasons that will become obvious by the end. Let's call it the calm before the storm.**

**I love the friendship between Mercedes and Kurt, and personally, I think Puck and Blaine would make great friends, so that's why he has a little cameo in this chapter. I have just finished writing chapter nine, so this story is coming on nicely. As always, thank you for your reviews. There have been nearly 1000 hits on this story, making it easily my most popular, so thank you to everyone who had contributed to that number.**

**In the three or so hours between last chapter and this one, I haven't managed to buy Glee. It's an ongoing struggle :D**

* * *

><p>4.<p>

The next morning, Kurt told Mr Shue that he wasn't coming to lessons for today. That was one of the best things about being a Prince. You could just skip whenever you felt like it, and Kurt was a good enough student for Mr Shue to let it slid this time.

Kurt went to find an escort. When he reached the barracks, however, the only knight still there was Blaine. Kurt was feeling a little awkward around him, but Blaine apparently didn't feel the same and cheerfully agreed to escort him to Mercedes' home.

On the way there, with Blaine on his own horse, Samos, there was no silence, with Blaine chattering happily all the way there. Kurt would call it small talk, but it was all said with such enthusiasm that Kurt almost wished Blaine wasn't so cheerful. Upon reaching Mercedes' home, Kurt escaped up to her dayroom with a sigh of relief.

Mercedes settled herself opposite Kurt and took his hand gently as she asked "What's wrong?"

"Oh, 'Cedes. Everything."

Mercedes laughed softly "Okay, how about a bit more specific?"

"Blaine. And Dave Karofsky."

"Who's Dave Karofsky?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at her "You must have at least heard of the name. He's the son of a rich nobleman and he's applied for my hand in marriage. My dad approves. He wants me to marry Dave."

"And you don't?"

"No, of course not! We've got nothing in common. The only thing that's going for him is that he's the only one interested."

Mercedes nodded "I see. So that's where the Blaine problem comes in?"

Kurt groaned "He's gay, Mercedes. I said, in front of him, that I was going to marry Dave and he just didn't blink. He's acting exactly the same."

Mercedes wrapped her arm around Kurt's waist and hugged him tightly "You think he doesn't like you in that way?"

"What else am I supposed to think?"

"Maybe he's just really good at hiding his feelings. After all, maybe he's not sure if you like him. You are a prince, Kurt. He probably thinks he's beneath you."

Kurt shrugged "I wouldn't mind that."

Mercedes burst out laughing "Not like that! Honestly, where did my innocent Kurt go?"

"Disappeared about the same time I met you. I wonder why that could be…"

Mercedes laughed again "You're feeling better then. You know, you don't have to marry this Dave."

"Yes, I do. I won't disappoint my dad."

"Kurt, he wouldn't want you to be unhappy, and you said it yourself, he wouldn't mind you marrying a knight."

"I won't _be_ unhappy. I just… won't be as happy as I could be. I'll be… content, and I can live with that. As for the knight thing, he wouldn't mind, but only while there wasn't a better prospect. Dave's a better prospect."

Mercedes hugged him again "If you're sure…"

"I am, 'Cedes. My dad knows that I have a responsibility to the kingdom to marry acceptably, and I know it as well. Now, I've got to go. I need to clear my head."

Mercedes nodded "Go riding. Have fun."

Kurt kissed her cheek "Thank you, Mercedes. You always make things better."

"That's because I'm brilliant. Now go."

Kurt laughed, and went back down the stairs, emerging into the courtyard and calling for Blaine. Immediately, he appeared in a doorway, and they went to collect their horses.

As they came out of Mercedes' house, Kurt said to Blaine "I need to go riding. Are you going to be able to keep up with me?"

Blaine grinned "Is that a challenge, Prince Kurt?"

Kurt just grinned back and spurred Moran forward. In less than five minutes, both young men were galloping full pelt through the forest, laughing and cheering, Blaine's curly hair blowing in the wind they created with their speed. For half a hour, everything was brilliantly blissful, and Kurt found all his worries melting away, as he was fully focussed on keeping his balance on Moran.

Then something happened.

Blaine had pulled ahead of Kurt, smirking slightly as he turned back to look at Kurt. It was at the exact moment that Blaine wasn't looking forward that his horse, usually so reliable, tripped over a rock and stumbled.

At a walk or a trot, it would be fine, but at a full out gallop, it was dangerous. Samos fell, and the lurch forward sent Blaine flying. Samos came to a halt at the loss of his rider and in a panic, Kurt pulled Moran up as fast as he could, dismounted, and ran over to where Blaine lay, his heart in his mouth until, with a groan, Blaine sat up.

Kurt dropped to his knees besides Blaine, not caring how dirty his trousers would get as he asked breathlessly "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Blaine answered, his voice relatively steady "Is Samos okay?"

"Right now, I couldn't care less about the horse. Can you stand? You haven't got a headache or blurry vision?"

"I'm not concussed, Kurt. I didn't hit my head."

Kurt snorted with disbelief, before standing and extending his hand. Blaine grasped it and together, they got Blaine back on his feet. As he stood upright and put weight on his right ankle, Blaine gasped and buckled.

Kurt caught him and said "Yeah, you're not walking anywhere on that. Wait here, I'll catch Samos."

Kurt did, but as he led Samos back over, the horse seemed to be having the same problem as Blaine, and Blaine could see it.

"I won't be able to ride him back."

Kurt frowned "Ride Moran. We both will and we'll hold Samos' reins."

Kurt mounted Moran and Blaine climbed up behind him, holding onto the back of the saddle and they moved off, not going as fast now Moran had two passengers.

Kurt was doing his best not to blush and shake as he felt Blaine's solid warmth behind him. He was quite glad that Blaine wasn't holding onto his waist, but his brain short-circuited as Moran stumbled over some uneven ground and Blaine did just that, wrapping his strong arms around Kurt's slender waist.

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out, blushing deeply. As they came up to the palace, Kurt's hands were trembling so badly that he could barely hold onto the reins. Blaine, naturally, noticed and leaned forward, setting his head on Kurt's shoulder, and moving one of his hands to grasp one of Kurt's.

Kurt kept his head angled down as Blaine asked "Are you alright?"

"Y… yes."

Blaine frowned, taking in the red blush painting Kurt's cheeks as he asked again "Are you sure? You look kind of red."

"I… y… you… you're…"

"Yes?" Blaine's voice dropped, both in volume and timbre "I'm what?"

"You're t… too… close."

"Really?" Blaine asked, unable to keep a note of triumph out of his voice "Why is that?"

Kurt swallowed. Blaine was _seriously _asking him to explain why his heart felt like it was bursting from beating too hard, and why it felt like all his blood was in his face, and why wherever Blaine touched him, it left invisible trails of fire behind. He was asking him why?

Kurt choked out finally "Please, Blaine. Please stop. I can't."

Blaine raised his head from Kurt's shoulder, but didn't move either of his arms as he whispered "Why can't you? Do you think the feelings aren't returned? They are. Is it because I'm a knight? I'm also the only son of a rich nobleman from Westerville and I am _at least_ the equal of Karofsky. Whatever you think is stopping us from being together, Kurt, I _swear_ to you, I can change that."

Kurt smiled weakly "You can't change my dad."

Blaine wasn't deterred "Do _you_ want to marry Karofsky?"

"No, but…"

"And didn't your father let Finn pick his bride?"

"Yes, but…"

"So tell your father that you want to pick someone else."

Kurt snapped "What, and pick you? I can't do that, Blaine, why don't you understand? My dad likes Karofsky, likes his son and thinks I do to. He's already working so hard to make things right, I can't pick someone he doesn't approve of."

"So give me a chance to make him. At least let me go to him and ask his permission to court you."

Kurt didn't answer, instead choosing to pull Moran over, pulling Samos to a halt as well, and dismounted, before helping Blaine off, and handing the reins over to a waiting stable hand.

Together, they made their way over to the knights' barracks, Blaine leaning heavily on Kurt. Each knight had a separate small room, in which there was just enough room for a bed, a closet and a side table. It was a far cry from the luxury Kurt was used to, but as he lowered Blaine onto the bed, Blaine sighed and relaxed, clearly comfortable.

Kurt waited for him to settle, before helping him off with his armour and pulling his boots off. His right ankle was considerably more swelled than his left, and Kurt winced. Blaine wouldn't be walking on that any time soon.

Blaine had also groaned when he saw his ankle, coming to the same conclusion as Kurt and not liking the idea of being cooped up in his room for some time. Kurt pulled off his sash and quickly soaked it in cold water before wrapping it around Blaine's ankle.

Without looking up, Kurt explained "That should help reduce the swelling."

A hand covered his and Kurt looked up to see Blaine watching him, his hazel eyes very warm and an utterly tender look on his face. Kurt blushed and Blaine grinned, tugging him up the bed, and settled him onto the side table.

"You blush really easily."

Kurt lifted his chin fractionally as he replied "No, you just make me blush easily. I assure you, only you have this effect on me."

Blaine smiled again, the hand that wasn't holding Kurt's cupping his face as he asked quietly "Do you like me, Kurt? Even just a little? Enough to consider me as an alternative to Karofsky?"

Kurt had never found such a little word so hard to say, and the rush he got afterwards was amazing.

"Yes."

Blaine's responding grin was both brilliant and beautiful and it lit up his face, his eyes shining as he asked "And can I talk to your father about you?"

Kurt nodded, overwhelmed in both shock and delight as he replied "Yes."

Blaine nodded "Then I will."

They looked at each other, blue-green eyes gazing into hazel as they clasped hands, one of Blaine's in between two of Kurt's, with Blaine's other hand still resting on Kurt's face. There was a deep intimacy in the locking of eyes, and there was no need for words, everything they wanted to say could be read in their eyes.

The private moment was shatter abruptly by a harsh knocking on the door and Puck's voice calling "Anderson! You back?"

Kurt pulled away from the cosy position as Blaine called out "Yes, Puck, I'm here. Come in."

Puck walked in and looked surprised "Hummel! What are you doing here?"

Puck, being Finn's best friend, didn't do the bowing and scraping that most people did upon meeting a member of the royal family, for which Kurt was very grateful. He would, however, be more grateful if Puck could work on his sense of timing.

Kurt got to his feet and rolled his eyes as he said "Blaine came off his horse and sprained his ankle. He couldn't walk on it so I helped him back here. He'll need taking care of, Noah."

Before either Puck or Blaine could say a word, Kurt said a quick goodbye and was out of the door, brushing past Puck quickly and shutting the door to Blaine's room behind him. There was silence for a few seconds before Blaine threw his hands up into the air in exasperation and glared at Puck.

Puck cowered slightly under the gaze as he asked "Hey, how was I supposed to know he was going to be here?"

"Two minutes, Puck. You couldn't have given it just two more minutes?"

Puck smirked widely "Why, did I interrupt?"

Blaine scowled "You know you did. He was so close…"

"So, he likes you. Guess you're glad you've confirmed that. Well done, man, but be careful, alright? I know you like him, but I know Dave Karofsky, and he plays rough."

Blaine sighed "I was afraid of that. This isn't a game, this is Kurt's happiness we're talking about. Karofsky can't treat Kurt like a possession.

Puck nodded "I get it, man. Hey, do you need anything?"

"Yeah, a way to get about would be nice."

Puck grinned as he left the room "I'm on it. I'll see what Santana and Brittany can rustle up."

"Don't get caught."

"I resent the implication. I _never_ get caught."

Outside the barracks, leaning up against the rough stone wall, Kurt placed a hand over his heart and sighed to himself.

'_I nearly kissed him. Oh God, I nearly kissed Blaine!_'


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry guys, but the update schedule is going to have to change. I am very ill, and am on so many drugs right now it's a miracle I can type straight. As the situation stands, I haven't been able to write anymore, so to avoid leaving you hanging for too long, don't expect the next chapter for another two weeks. By that point, I should be back on my feet and writing again.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm very fond of it myself, seeing as it basically consists of Klaine fluff all the way through. Please read and review!**

**I don't own Glee. I do however own a pair of concert tickets to go and see the cast :D**

* * *

><p>5.<p>

A couple of weeks passed before Blaine learnt how to manoeuvre himself on his crutches and get about. He took to supervising the training sessions, and actually enjoyed himself greatly. He would catch sight of Kurt every now and again. They would never exchange words, but their glances were both shy and delighted. Kurt was often in the company of Dave Karofsky, and almost everyone was waiting for a second royal proposal.

Blaine knew he had to get move on if he wanted to stand a chance with Kurt's father, but he didn't want to appear weak and walking in on crutches would do that.

Kurt wasn't avoiding Blaine, as such. It was just that, after a few minutes of meeting Dave, Kurt quickly worked out that he was strangely possessive, and Kurt didn't want Blaine to get hurt. But after nearly a month of fleeting, longing glances, with the world disappearing around them whenever their gazes met, even Dave noticed.

While they were taking a stroll around the palace gardens, Kurt and Dave ran into Blaine, now fully healed and testing out his mobility. Kurt nearly walked into Blaine and pulled back suddenly, one hand resting over his heart, and a rapid blush suffusing his face.

Blaine bowed and said politely "Good afternoon, Prince Kurt, Lord Karofsky."

"Good afternoon, Blaine. Are you better now?"

Blaine smiled "Yes, my ankle is fully healed. Samos is also recovered, so we could go riding again."

Kurt smiled back shyly "I'd like that."

Dave interrupted at this point "Who are you, speaking to a Prince so casually?"

"No, Dave." Kurt answered quickly "He's a friend of mine. Blaine's an excellent horseman, so he races me to keep me in shape."

Dave nodded, but the jealousy and the anger didn't leave his eyes. Blaine knew he was probably pushing it too far, but he really couldn't resist, not with Kurt standing in front of him looking almost like an angel.

Blaine said simply "I am going to your father now, Prince Kurt."

He then knelt onto one knee and gently took Kurt's left hand, drawing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of it before standing and walking away, heading for the palace. Kurt was rooted to the ground in shock, deaf to everything except the roar of blood in his head and his quick, fluttering breaths. Blaine had kissed him. Admittedly only on the back of the hand, but it was the single most romantic and chivalrous thing Kurt had ever had done to him.

With a lovesick sigh, Kurt began to walk again, not noticing the thunderous look on Dave's face, or the suddenly dangerous way he stared at Kurt's back. He might not be the brightest, but Kurt was hardly subtle in his preference for Blaine.

He would come to regret that. Dave was going to make sure of it.

Blaine moved into the throne room, easily admitted as the guards recognised him. King Burt was listening to another knight, one Blaine didn't recognise, make a report on the outlying villages and the crop planting. It didn't sound very interesting, but if Burt found it boring, he didn't let it show in his face. After the knight left, Blaine approached at Burt's nod and knelt at his King's feet, head bowed.

Burt smiled gently and asked "What do you want, young man?"

Blaine remained kneeling "My name is Blaine Anderson, Your Highness. I am a knight here, trained at Dalton in Westerville."

Burt nodded "I've heard the name Anderson before. I was unaware he had a son though."

"Your Highness, I am here to ask you a question and beg that you don't reject me immediately. I want to ask your permission to court your son, Kurt."

Burt looked surprised and beckoned a well hidden manservant, asking him to fetch Kurt and in the same breath telling Blaine to stand up because it must be getting uncomfortable on the floor. Blaine stood, clasping his hands together in an attempt to stop them shaking.

Kurt appeared, looking both confused and a little scared. When he caught sight of Blaine, his blue-green eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he didn't react. Burt watched his son approach, pointedly not looking at Blaine, before asking "What did you want, Dad?"

Burt indicated Blaine "Do you know him?"

"Yes that's Blaine."

"He's asked permission to court you. Is that okay?"

Kurt looked at Blaine with wide eyes and replied breathlessly "Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay then." Burt sounded amused "You boys run along. Blaine, if you hurt my son…"

He didn't need to finish his sentence. Blaine caught the unspoken threat loud and clear.

They left the throne room and as the doors were closed behind them, the boys stared at each other, unable to break their gaze. Eventually, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him down the corridor. They ran for a bit, before Blaine tugged him into a small alcove, causing them to have to be pressed up right against each other in order to stay hidden. Kurt's hands were pressed against Blaine's chest and Blaine's arms were wound around Kurt's waist. The boys' foreheads were pressed together and neither said a word, still just looking at each other.

Finally Kurt murmured "I can feel your heartbeat."

Blaine smiled and replied quietly "It's for you. It's all for you."

"I can't believe you actually asked my dad."

"I said I would. I mean to do everything right with you, Kurt."

Kurt sighed, his eyes flickering all over Blaine's face as he whispered "I want to kiss you."

The soft confession thrilled Blaine inside, butterflies in his stomach going wild as he leant past Kurt's face to murmur in his ear "So do I, but I don't kiss before the first date."

Kurt pulled back, bright red again and replied "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

Blaine pecked Kurt's cheek and said "You can count on it."

Kurt walked off reluctantly, still smiling, and as he turned the corner, Blaine silently began to cheer to himself, his face shining with joy. As he moved off in the other direction and out of the palace, he was taken by surprise as a meaty hand came out of nowhere and slammed him into a wall. Another hand came around Blaine's throat and Blaine blurrily identified his attacker as Dave Karofsky.

As he pinned Blaine, Dave hissed "Stay away from him, Anderson."

"Why should I? We both have a chance."

Dave slammed Blaine's head against the wall and repeated "You stay away from him, understand? He's _mine_. I don't care what kind of chance you think you have, if you go near him, you_ will_ regret it."

Blaine struggled, but to no avail. Dave punched him in the stomach, winding him, before letting go of his throat and repeating on more time "Stay away from Hummel."

Blaine collapsed onto the ground, clutching his stomach as he tried to recover his lost breath, while wincing at the headache he now had. Reaching behind his head, Blaine felt tenderness, and a bump forming already, but luckily his fingers came away clear of blood.

It took a few minutes, but Blaine managed to lurch to his feet and make his way back to the knights' barracks. As he made his way up to his room, he caught Puck's eye. There was a wealth of knowledge passed between them, and Blaine could almost hear Puck's silent, but not triumphant '_I told you so'._

Over the next couple of months, it was rather odd. Kurt, having never expected even one suitor, suddenly had two. Knowing that despite his father accepting Blaine, Dave Karofsky was still the favourite in his dad's eyes, Kurt was still seeing both men, though enjoying Blaine's company far more. Dave took Kurt out to fancy, over the top dinners and events, the attendants of which were almost exclusively high class noblemen and women. Blaine took Kurt for long walks or rides through Lima, or the surrounding forests and they would talk for hours, about anything and everything.

On one of those days, Kurt and Blaine were walking down Lima's market. Kurt had never done this before, but Blaine adored these types of markets. Stall, brightly coloured, lined the road, with people standing behind them shouting various sales pitches. The stalls sold all kinds of things, mainly fruit and clothes, though there were stalls for every conceivable thing. Every fifth stall or so was cooking and selling food, and the various smells intermingled with the scent of people and something else neither of them could identify, but seemed to be a smell unique to markets.

They could barely go five steps without someone calling out for them to try a taster of the food they were selling, or to try on a pretty bit of jewellery or new item of clothing. The fruit sellers tried to out-shout and out-brag the others, the prices getting steadily more ridiculous and the way they were announced getting steadily louder. Down the centre of the market, everyone was pressed together, and the cacophony of voices, in several different languages, just added to the atmosphere.

To start with, Kurt stayed close to Blaine, holding onto his arm as Blaine navigated them through the crowds of people and stopped at any stalls that caught their attention, but he soon split off from Blaine, though staying within arm's reach. They both spent a lot of time in the horse market, looking at the beautiful thoroughbreds for sale.

After a while, Blaine drew Kurt over to the side and they sat down outside a little coffee shop. Blaine insisted on buying Kurt coffee and they drank them together, Kurt daintily and Blaine absentmindedly, preoccupied as he was with watching Kurt swallow. Eventually, Kurt noticed Blaine's star-struck stare and blushed red, setting his cup back down and dropped his head.

Blaine also turned away and chuckled uneasily "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

If possible, Kurt blushed even harder as he replied "No, you weren't, it's just… I'm not used to people looking at me… the way you do."

Blaine leaned forward over the table, resting one hand over Kurt's and his other going to cup Kurt's face gently as they gazed at each other. Blaine finally murmured "I can't believe you haven't been fighting them off for years. You're so beautiful."

Kurt smiled hesitantly. He wasn't used to this. Sure, he had been complimented before, when people sent their regards to the royal families, when foreign dignitaries paid their respects, more recently with Dave Karofsky's pompous events, the guests going out of their way to be nice to Kurt in order to network, but he had never been complimented in the way Blaine did. It hadn't been flowery, artificial or insincere in any way. Blaine had taken his hand, looked into his eyes and said just one word, and that had felt amazing.

Blaine brought Kurt's attention back to him by asking "Have you had fun today?"

Kurt smiled more fully "Yeah, I have. It's been fun. I never realised how vibrant this city was."

"It's lovely, isn't it? Westerville has a market like this, but it's not nearly as loud, or as diverse."

Kurt frowned slightly as he asked "Do you miss being in Westerville?"

"Not really. I miss Dalton every now and again, because that's where my friends are."

"What about your family?"

Blaine froze, halfway from getting up from his seat and went quite pale. Kurt got up hurriedly, afraid that Blaine was going to have a heart attack or something. Finally, Blaine found his composure and his voice, managed to reply "My family… don't… I don't… talk about my family."

Kurt came to stand beside Blaine, looking worried "I'm sorry, I should never have asked."

"That's okay. It's not as if you knew. They're not bad people, they just… don't get it."

Kurt watched Blaine's face flash with sadness and thought how wrong it looked on that otherwise perpetually smiling face. He reached out and took Blaine's hand, squeezing it reassuringly and waited for a smile to reappear on that handsome face. When it did, Kurt asked quietly "Would you like to meet my mother?"

Blaine looked surprised "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I think she'd like you."

Blaine nodded "Okay then. I'd be honoured."

Kurt smiled and they wound their way through the crowd, heading back towards the palace, their hands still intertwined. On reaching the palace grounds, Kurt turned to the right before they actually entered the palace grounds and walked down the road, stopping outside a field.

It wasn't a graveyard. It looked like a normal patch of ground that had been allowed to run wild, flowers were everywhere and a few metres in was a large oak tree, underneath which was a gravestone. Kurt walked carefully through the gate and through the flowers before stopping in front of the gravestone. Blaine hung a few steps back, watching Kurt.

Kurt smiled softly and knelt down "Hi, Mum. I told you I'd be back soon, and I brought him. Mom, this is Blaine."

Kurt turned around and beckoned Blaine a few steps forward. Blaine rested one hand on Kurt's shoulder as he bowed his head respectively and said "It's a privilege to meet you."

Kurt smiled briefly up at Blaine before turning his attention back to his mother "I told you that you'd like him. Blaine's very charming, and he's so kind and good to me. I know you'd approve…"

Kurt's voice trailed off, before he continued a little quieter "I really wish you could meet him, Mom. I miss you still so much. Sometimes I just want you back, singing with me the way you used to. Everyone says I look like you and the only thing I have to prove that is pictures…"

Blaine knelt down besides Kurt, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist as the boy's eyes filled with tears. Kurt tucked his face into the crook of Blaine's neck and the two men just stayed like that for a few minutes. When they rose, Kurt hugged Blaine tightly and said "Thank you for coming with me."

Blaine rubbed Kurt's back soothingly "That's okay. I'll be there for you Kurt, whatever you need me for."

Standing at the gate that led in and out of the field, a bulky figure stood, watching the pair with narrowed eyes and clenched fists, but before the pair could turn around, he disappeared.

As Kurt and Blaine made there way back to the palace, Blaine sought to take Kurt's mind off bad memories and smiled as a good idea came into his mind.

Casually, he said "So, I already know that you're a good horseman. Is there anything else that you're really good at that I should know?"

Kurt grinned shyly "Archery."

"Do you want to show me how good when we get back?"

"I'd love to! You won't know what's hit you!"

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, pleased that Kurt had got so competitive. It was almost cute…

Until Kurt proved how good he actually was. Blaine wasn't bad, getting solid eights and nines with the occasional ten, but Kurt was hitting the centre of the target nearly every time, with infrequent arrows going into the nine band.

After an hour of archery and 150 arrows each, Blaine had scored 1255, and Kurt had scored 1475. Blain set down his borrowed bow and stared in shock. Kurt blushed under the scrutiny, but continued to disassemble his bow.

"Wow." That's about all Blaine could manage, his hazel eyes wide, fixed on Kurt's slim figure and lightly muscled arms.

"I warned you. I've been doing this since I could hold a bow."

"Still… I had no idea how sexy you would look shooting arrows."

Okay, so that kind of slipped out, but it was worth it as Kurt looked embarrassed again, though he managed not to blush as he returned Blaine's gaze.

"So did you. You looked really hot."

Blaine's mouth dropped open with shock at Kurt's boldness and couldn't respond coherently beyond 'guh'.

Kurt giggled "Did I fluster you?"

Blaine stepped close, his body not more than a few millimetres away from Kurt, but not touching. Kurt's eyes had dropped to Blaine's lips and didn't move as Blaine leaned forward, paused, then whispered "Don't get overconfident. Turnabout's fair play."

Kurt shrieked and slapped playfully at Blaine. Blaine caught Kurt's hand and pulled him close, Kurt pushing away jokingly and as they did, they tumbled to the ground, Kurt falling on top of Blaine, both of them laughing their heads off as they rolled on the grass.

Finally, they stopped and Kurt looked down at Blaine, both pairs of eyes, blue-green and hazel, were dancing with joy and some other emotion, recognised and acknowledged but not spoken aloud. Blaine pushed back the hair that had fallen over Kurt's forehead, and smoothed it down, his hand resting gently on the back of Kurt's neck. There was a few seconds pause before Blaine leaned up and pressed a kiss on Kurt's forehead, then carefully extracted himself from beneath Kurt as he murmured goodbye and walked off.

Kurt watched him go, then once Blaine had rounded a corner and disappeared, Kurt proceeded to throw his hands in the air and dance around in a circle, overjoyed beyond words or feelings could express.

Kurt was _so_ in love with this boy.


	6. Chapter 6

**I felt so guilty about denying you guys an update last week, that I'm uploading the chapter a little early. I'm well again, and writing, though not as fast. The reason for this is that my original fiction decided that it'd had enough of being ignored and forced my fingers to type it, so now I'm splitting my attention. That, along with the sadness that Glee ended on Monday and joy that I see them in concert on the 25th (10 DAYS TO GO!), means my concentration is shot to hell.**

**And I suspect the rest of me will be as well after you read this chapter. I'm hiding now.**

**Actually, before I go into hiding, I have a question to ask of all of you readers (AND TO ANSWER IT, YOU'LL HAVE TO REVIEW. DO YOU LIKE MY CUNNING PLAN?) Does Karofsky need to die by the end of this story? I can't make up my mind, so I'll get you to decide for me.**

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

><p>6.<p>

It was about a week later that Kurt saw Dave Karofsky again. It had taken about that long for Kurt to come back down off the high Blaine had given him. Why had nobody told him this was what love felt like? It was the most intense, amazing experience of Kurt's life so far, and even when Dave came to take Kurt out, Kurt was still out of it just enough to not realise how much he was talking about Blaine.

They were walking through the town, and Kurt, talking nineteen to the dozen as he was, didn't notice Dave's face get darker and darker until he was pulled into an alleyway and shoved up against a wall, his wrists pinned above his head.

Dave leant in close, face furious and voice dangerous, hissing "Shut up about him. You belong to me, you're going to marry me, _he_ doesn't matter."

Kurt adopted a superior look, though inwardly, his heart was beating fast with fear "Don't be stupid, Dave, I haven't chosen either of you and I _certainly_ don't belong to you, and if you don't let me go _this instant_, I'll…"

"You'll what? You'll do nothing and this is why. If you go near him again, if you speak to him, or ride with him, or spend any time with him at all, I'll have him killed, and not only him. Your maid, the daughters of Lord Jones and Lord Berry, the knights Sir Noah Puckerman and Sir Michael Chang. Everyone you care about will lose their lives if you go near Anderson again, understand?"

Kurt nodded weakly, his eyes wide with horror. Dave grinned triumphantly, before smashing his lips onto Kurt's. Kurt tried to struggle and pull his head away, but Dave still held him strongly. The stolen kiss lasted for only a few seconds before Dave pulled away, looking pleased. He dropped Kurt, who slid to the ground, a hand over his mouth in revulsion and tears in his eyes.

Dave looked down at him and added "If you try to tell any of them, I'll have them killed. If you tell anyone what just happened, I'll have them killed. But if you do what I tell you, we'll have no problems."

Kurt staggered to his feet while Dave was in the middle of his little speech and before he could finish, ran down the alleyway. Dave turned just in time to see Kurt round a corner and with a roar, he chased after the young prince.

Kurt dodged down alleyway after alleyway, the narrow, twisting streets turning every which way, getting Kurt more and more hopelessly lost, but there was something in his head that wouldn't let him stop. All he knew was that he had to get away as fast as possible and as far as possible. Kurt didn't even check to see if he was being followed. He just kept running.

Finally, Kurt spotted a little alcove in the street and darted into it, pressing his body against the rough brick and taking great gasps of air. But he didn't have much of a reprieve. It was a few minutes later that Dave thundered into the alleyway, stopping to bend over and gather his breath. Kurt pressed into the wall harder, now holding his breath, praying for Dave to turn around and leave.

It didn't work. Like a hunter chasing it's prey, Dave somehow knew Kurt was nearby. He stood up again and yelled "Kurt! Where are you, Kurt! Come here!"

Kurt closed his eyes, listening to Dave take heavy steps forward, getting closer to Kurt's hiding place. Kurt was terrified, dreading what would happen when Dave dragged him out. Just a couple of steps more and he would be discovered.

"Hey!"

The footsteps stopped. Kurt opened his eyes in time to see a blond man, about Kurt's age, walk down the alleyway to Karofsky, backed up by two other young men. The blond man stepped up to Karofsky and looked him over disdainfully "Folks dressed as richly as you don't tend to be seen in this part of town very often, unless they want to lose those riches."

Dave looked at the man scornfully, not seeing him to be any threat "Stay away from me, street rat, otherwise you'll get hurt."

"Do you think it's a good idea to sling insults at someone when you're on their territory?" The blond man replied casually. "Honestly, you're making such a racket, I'll be surprised if every gang within ten miles doesn't come running, you're such a soft target. Lucky we found you first, huh? We're a nice bunch. Just give us all your valuables and we'll let you go."

Dave growled "Make me."

The blond man smiled grimly "You heard him, boys."

There were a couple muffled thuds, a jingle of coins and another boy's voice saying "Got it."

Dave spoke next, sounding a little winded "Wait… I'm looking for someone. A boy, about your age. Did anyone come through here?"

Kurt held his breath until the blond man replied "No, rich man, now turn around and get out. That'll teach you not to stray into this part of town again."

Dave's footsteps got fainter and fainter until they faded away completely. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. Now just to wait until this gang dispersed…

Suddenly, the blond boy was looking right at him as he said "It's okay, you can come out now. He's gone."

Kurt stepped out warily, then the revulsion he had been holding in chose to make itself known, as Kurt suddenly and violently threw up, emptying his stomach until nothing remained. Through it all, he was dimly aware of someone rubbing his back, while someone else make sure he stayed on his feet.

"Hey." It was the blond boy's voice again. "What did he do to you to make you sick like this?"

Kurt answered roughly "Nothing."

The boy snorted "Don't give me that. We saw you running from him. We got in the way for a reason."

Kurt just repeated "Nothing, but thank you…?"

The boy still looked slightly suspicious, but answered the unspoken question "I'm Sam."

"Thank you, Sam."

"You're okay, Kurt."

"How did you…?"

"Despite the fact that the bloke was yelling it? You're dressed richer than he is, and Kurt's not a very common name… Your Highness."

Kurt tensed, so Sam was quick to reassure him "Don't worry, we won't harm you. Come on, we'll take you to Santana and Brittany's place. They'll be able to get a hold of Puck, who'll get you back safe."

Kurt looked at him curiously "You know Puck?"

"Yeah, he's a regular visitor. Let's go."

Kurt followed Sam through a few more winding passages before they emerged into the shadier part of town. This was where most of the poorest inhabitants of Lima lived and it showed in the cramped, dirty, ramshackle condition of the houses and streets.

Sam walked a little way down the street, before walking into what was arguably the best looking place in the area. Kurt followed him in and looked around with interest. It was a shop and it looked like it sold pretty much everything you would ever need, and it was much better quality than Kurt had expected. The prices were very low, as would be expected in the part of town, but Kurt couldn't help but wonder how they managed to make a profit. Sitting at the back of the shop, next to a strong box where Kurt presumed all the money was kept, was a blonde girl, not as golden blonde as Quinn, more of a pale blonde. She had big blue eyes, with a look of innocence on her face.

When Sam and two of his friends (the rest of the gang had scattered as they had walked to the shop) walked in, she had looked up and a large smile lit up her face as she rushed forward to hug him "Sammy!"

Sam gently hugged her back "Hi Brittany. Where's Santana?"

"Out back. Santana! Santana! Sammy's back and he's brought friends!"

After yelling this, Brittany turned her attention back to the other two boys, hugging them both "Danny! Lukey!"

Both boys hugged her back fondly, clearly used to her. Brittany then focused her eyes on Kurt and asked simply "Who are you?"

Kurt replied carefully "I'm Kurt."

Brittany's smile lit up again "Kurtie!"

She hugged him tightly like she had the other boys "I'm Brittany. Do you want to make out with me?"

Kurt's face must have been priceless because Sam burst out laughing and continued to laugh as Kurt gathered himself and answered "No, thank you, Brittany. I'm sure you're lovely but…"

"That's okay." Brittany interrupted "Sam won't make out with me either. Maybe you'll prefer Santana…"

"Who prefers me?"

The voice was quickly followed by the person it belonged to. Santana was a Latina girl, with long black hair and very dark eyes. Her face was more heavily made-up than Brittany's and her whole demeanour was a lot less innocent.

She grinned when she saw Sam "Hey Sam, Daniel, Luke. What you got for me?"

Sam tossed her the money he had presumably taken from Dave and said "Money from a rich scumbag and a boy."

He pushed Kurt forward "This is Prince Kurt."

Santana looked him over and scoffed lightly "What did you do, kidnap him?"

"No! He got lost. We brought him so that Puck can come and get him."

"Well, send one of your boys then! We don't need him hanging him around."

Sam grinned "Thanks Santana. Luke, you look vaguely more respectable, go fetch Puck."

Luke nodded and left, Daniel following not long after. Sam and Santana disappeared out of the shop, Santana saying something about stock shortage. Kurt sat down and Brittany sat down next to him, her face now filled with plain curiosity.

"Are you really a prince?"

Kurt nodded "Yes, I am."

"Are you the one getting married soon?"

"No, that's my step-brother, Finn."

"Oh. Why aren't you getting married?"

Kurt smiled weakly, not really wanting to go into that. Luckily, Brittany would be fine with a simple response. "Just haven't found the right person yet, I suppose."

Brittany nodded, her face completely absorbed "That's sad. I haven't either. I have a boyfriend, but Santana says he's not the right person."

"What's his name?"

"Artie. I forget the rest. He can't walk."

'_And that would be why Santana says he's not right for her._' Kurt thought '_He wouldn't be able to support her in the slightest, however much he may love her._'

Out loud, he replied "That's sad."

"Yeah, it is. Artie gets sad about it a lot, but I always cheer him up, he says."

Kurt really didn't know how to answer that, so he let the conversation die. It was probably for the best. Brittany confused him, she was such a funny mix of old and young. There was an air of total innocence about her, but to have a boyfriend, she would certainly have to be knowledgeable about _specific things._

"How old are you?"

However, like the young, she never seemed to stop asking questions.

"I'm eighteen. How old are you?"

"Twenty, I think. Sometimes I forget when my birthday is, but Santana says I'm the same age as her, and she's twenty."

"What about Sam?"

"He's twenty-two. He's the eldest. He's like our big brother."

Kurt decided to stop encouraging her after that. He hoped it wouldn't be long before Puck got here. He wanted to just go to his room and sleep and pretend that the day had never happened. Sam and Santana came back shortly afterwards and between the four of them, Kurt actually stayed quite amused. Santana had a sarcastic sense of humour almost the equal of Kurt's own, and Sam came out with some hilarious phrases that surprised him as much as they entertained everyone else. Brittany's one-liners, especially when they were unexpected, were the best.

Half a hour was passed in this pleasant way until Kurt heard hooves. Sam grinned, standing up as Puck walked in. The two young men greeted each other with slaps on the back and raucous laughter, then Santana sidled up and drew Puck in for a long kiss, decidedly more graphic then was probably appropriate, given that they had company.

Puck then bowed to Kurt teasingly and asked "Ready to go?"

"Yes, thanks. Did you ride Moran?"

"Yeah. I'll see you outside in a few minutes."

Kurt nodded, and left the shop, waving goodbye to Brittany. Seeing Moran tied up, Kurt went over to greet his horse and mount him. Puck joined him a few minutes later like he said and they set off, with Puck leading as Kurt had no idea where he was.

As they moved off, Kurt glanced down at Puck and asked "How do you know Sam? Is it through Santana?"

"Actually no, Sam introduced me to her. I know Sam because of Quinn."

"My maid, Quinn?"

"Yeah, she's like my sister. We've known each other since we were children. When she started going out with Sam, I had to check he was good enough for her. That's when I met him, the girls and his group."

"What does he do?"

Puck fell silent, unusual for him, and it made Kurt immediately suspicious. Puck was clearly not going to answer unless Kurt made him.

"Come on, Puck, what am I going to do? He practically saved my life and I know when I owe something."

Puck sighed "I promised not to say. You have to promise not to pass it on. You can't talk about it."

"Okay."

"Sam's a thief. He and his group of boys steal money, clothes off lines, vegetables and flowers from gardens, anything they can get away with. Sam passes it onto Santana and Brittany, who re-sell it and use the profits to legally finance the shop. Sam takes some of the profit as well, as he runs the risk."

Kurt raised his eyebrows and stared down at Puck in surprise "He's a thief. That pretty blond boy's a thief?"

Puck grinned "You think Sam's pretty? I promise not to pass it on to Blaine."

Kurt's smile dropped from his face as Puck mentioned Blaine. Blaine. Somehow, unconsciously, Kurt had put everyone he loved in danger and he couldn't do a single thing about it. It was a horrifically sobering thought and it made Kurt very sombre. He didn't speak all the way back to the palace. He could sense Puck's confusion, but was grateful when Puck clearly chose not to pursue it.

Fortunately, once back at the palace, Kurt didn't come across either Blaine or Dave, therefore he was able to escape into his room in order to think about what on Earth he was supposed to do.

He had no choice. From beginning to end in the whole affair, Kurt had no choice. Mercedes, Blaine, even Rachel were all too important to risk. Kurt would go along with Dave. His heart broke quietly at the thought of no contact with Blaine, but it broke more at the thought of Blaine not existing in this world at all.

With his decision made, Kurt went to find Rachel and immerse himself in wedding plans. Someone had to make sure Rachel didn't look like she had been dressed by someone who was completely colour blind with the fashion sense of a mentally handicapped monkey. Yes, she was actually that bad without guidance.

* * *

><p>Over the next week or so, Kurt ignored Blaine completely. If he saw Blaine approaching, he would turn around. Questions were answered with blank silences, as was any form of communication. Karofsky's threat was always the forefront of Kurt's mind and he wasn't going to give it a chance to be carried out. Kurt was fully prepared to break Blaine's heart or even make him hate Kurt forever. It wouldn't matter, just so long as he was alive.<p>

Blaine got the idea rather quickly. Soon, Kurt didn't see Blaine at all except by accident or at a distance, and all conversation seemed to be permanently terminated. It made Dave Karofsky elatedly eager and Kurt miserable. It was on his way to meet Dave that someone called Kurt out on it. Shockingly, it wasn't Blaine. It was Puck.

Kurt hadn't realised how close Puck and Blaine were, so when Puck cornered him and hissed angrily "What the heck do you think you're doing?" Kurt had to think for a bit before working out what he was referring to.

He was apparently silent for too long as Puck carried on "Well? What are you doing? He's broken up about it!"

"He's upset?"

"_Upset!_" Puck yelled "No, he's not upset, he's utterly distraught. He thinks it's his fault that all of a sudden, you won't even look at him."

"It's not." Kurt had to correct that "Tell him it's not."

"Why don't you tell him yourself? He thinks you've chosen Karofsky and it's killing him, He _loves_ you, you _idiot_!"

Kurt's breath caught around his next sentence, his words dying before they were spoken because _Blaine loved him_. His thoughts had stuttered to a halt, his brain stuck on the thing that Puck had clearly meant to have an impression. Blaine loved him. Blaine _loved_ him. Blaine loved _him_.

Puck wasn't finished "And anyone with half a brain can see that you love him as well, anyone except Blaine apparently, who insists he never had a chance to begin with…"

"Wait." Kurt interrupted, his eyes wide, because he hadn't realised he'd been that obvious. "What's this about me loving him?"

Puck glared at him and muttered "Okay, scratch that, anyone except Blaine _and_ you."

A little louder, he continued "Kurt. You love Blaine. You look at him like the sun rises and sets on his face. You can't possibly be unaware of that."

"I'm not, but I…"

"What's going on here?"

Kurt was sure that he would never again be as grateful as he was then to hear Dave Karofsky's voice. Puck stepped away from Kurt but didn't answer, leaving Kurt to explain.

Kurt moved over to Karofsky's side as he said "Nothing of importance."

Karofsky looked at Puck, who gritted his teeth and forced out a confirmation "Nothing important, Lord Karofsky. Just explaining to his Royal Highness why one of the knights will be absent from the wedding."

Kurt desperately wanted to ask what that meant, but couldn't as Karofsky nodded importantly and asked "What's your name, knight?"

"Noah Puckerman, my Lord."

"And the name of the knight that will be absent?"

"Blaine Anderson, my Lord."

An undeniably smug grin crossed Karofsky's face, but he inquired no further, casually dismissing Puck and walking off with Kurt following him. If it were possible, the day dragged even more slowly than usual, as all Kurt wanted to do was go to the knights' barracks and interrogate Puck until he got the answers he wanted.

On finally getting away from Dave, Kurt nearly ran to the barracks, but he never got a chance to enter it, as walking out of it was Blaine and Puck. Puck gesticulating widely with his hands and Blaine's head bowed, his dark curly hair falling over his face and his mouth barely moving in response to Puck. Kurt watched, frozen to the spot, until Blaine, as if he had some kind of sixth sense, raised his head and looked straight at Kurt. Their eyes locked for merely a second before Kurt turned tail and ran, this time all the way back to his room.

This was _ridiculous_. Kurt was acting like Blaine was the villain, and it just wasn't true. Kurt absolutely had to see him, but he didn't know if Dave, in his determination to keep them apart, had ordered Kurt to be watched. It wouldn't be hard, just to pay off the servants that were in the palace 24/7.

It took Kurt a hour to weigh up all the options in his head, and decided that he would never forgive himself if he didn't see Blaine before he went. It would kill him inside. So, Kurt would sneak out that night and just hope that Blaine wasn't leaving imminently.

It was a lot easier than Kurt expected to get out of his room unseen and the paranoid side of him said that it was too easy, but he squashed that and crept into the barracks, up the stairs and silently opened Blaine's door.

Blaine was fast asleep in his bed, flat on his back with the covers kicked down to his waist, revealing a bare chest. Kurt's focus slipped, but with an effort, he brought it back and moved over to sit on the bed and gently shake Blaine awake. He awoke with a slight start, and when he caught sight of Kurt, he murmured "This is a dream."

Kurt couldn't help smiling at the adorableness of it all before whispering "No, it's not. I'm really here. I need to talk to you."

Blaine sat up, catching Kurt's hands in his and saying quickly "Kurt, whatever it is I did, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"You didn't do anything, Blaine."

"Then why won't you even look at me anymore?"

Kurt tugged his hands from Blaine's, not looking at him as he replied "That's not something I can tell you."

"Why?"

"Please Blaine, I just can't. I'm only here to ask you why you're leaving."

There was a definite note of anger in Blaine's voice as he said "That's not something I can tell you."

Kurt pulled back a bit, hunching his shoulders at Blaine's tone. Kurt should have expected that response really, but it didn't stop him trying again with another question.

"Okay, but can you at least tell me when you're going?"

"Few days before the wedding. I'm aiming to get to Dalton quite quickly."

Kurt nodded. That gave him a little under two and a half months before Blaine left and never came back. Kurt knew with a certainty that after Blaine went, Dave would make moves to get them engaged. The thought nearly made Kurt sick. But there was nothing he could do.

Blaine was watching Kurt intently with his hazel eyes, despite the near pitch blackness they were in. As some evidence of Kurt's struggle crossed his face, Blaine leant forward and asked pleadingly "Can't you at least tell me why Karofsky? I really thought you liked me, Kurt."

Kurt wanted to answer, but couldn't. The truth, that he did prefer Blaine, would just lead to more questions, but Kurt refused to lie. He simply got up and with a nod of his head, left. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not that Blaine didn't chase after him.

Meanwhile, Blaine blinked in shock. He hadn't expected his question to gain that kind of reaction. Blaine wasn't stupid, and through a rather close study of Kurt, Blaine knew his body language and the fact that Kurt chose to run instead of reply said it was something important stopping him from doing so. For a few minutes, Blaine seriously considered staying, trying to find out what it was.

He soon shook that rebel thought.

Blaine was pretty sure he loved Kurt, and staying to watch him spend all his time with Karofsky would be too much for Blaine's heart to handle. He had to go, because staying only guaranteed heartbreak. He was strong, not strong enough to withstand that. Kurt had made his choice, and thus Blaine had made his.

It had been a dream, a wild, crazy, wonderful dream, but like all dreams, this one was coming to an end. Blaine was waking up.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I can feel the death vibes already. I hope you liked the introduction of the others, and as for any Brittana shippers, don't worry. I ship them as well, but these things take time. It will be addressed, don't worry.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Here I am, with another update. Aren't I nice and prompt? They may start slowing down again, because I haven't even finished Chapter 11 yet, and this is catching up rather quickly. **

**This is the longest chapter to date, and I hope that this one will make up for the previous one, and I got a few (hopefully joking) death threats. I also have my answer for the Karofsky situation, though if you have an opinion, please do still tell me. Things are still flexible.**

**However, my family is planning on moving house over the summer, so if this is not finished by then, please understand that I may well disappear. I have to share a room with my sister, so you'd better hope I don't get caught murdering her :D**

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

><p>7.<p>

In the run up to Finn and Rachel's wedding, Kurt had managed to keep himself remarkably well occupied. Two and a half months had flown by in a series of fittings, arrangements and several minor crises. Rachel was such a drama queen, and that was coming from Kurt.

He'd been busy enough to miss out on seeing Karofsky, and while the nobleman may not like it, he recognised it would be seen as odd if Kurt wasn't a major part of all the decisions, seeing as he was both best man and best friends with both the bridesmaids. One of them was Mercedes, the other was a young woman named Tina. She was an old friend of both girls and was close to being married herself, to one of Kurt's knights, Mike Chang. Although there was a whole host of helpers, servants and organisers running around, Kurt got more and more stressed out as the day grew closer, not least because it also grew closer to Blaine leaving.

It was about a week before the wedding, and Kurt had just finished his evening meal, eating it with Finn as they had taken to doing once a week, in order to maintain the brotherly bond they had formed in the two years their parents had been married. It was incredibly weird for Kurt to think that Finn, who was a month younger than him, would also be married soon. It was probably even weirder for Carole.

Kurt had left the room a little before Finn, citing the need to check on progress. Finn had laughed and told him that he was more controlling than Rachel sometimes. Kurt had acted horrified, but was still giggling slightly at that thought as he walked along. It was still quite bright outside, despite the hour. That was the good thing about the timing of Finn's proposal, it meant they could have a summer wedding, but it wouldn't be too hot and stifling. June was practically perfect.

Kurt was meandering along, thinking this, when, from out of nowhere, a solid shove pushed him up against a rough wall. Kurt looked up in surprise and fear, and his fear didn't fade when he saw Dave Karofsky. Instinctively, Kurt's arms wrapped around his own torso protectively. Dave stepped closer casually, laying a heavy hand against Kurt's shoulder, pinning him effectively, but not obviously.

Trembling, Kurt spoke quietly "I don't want you touching me."

Dave ignored him, trailing a finger down Kurt's chest with a smirk before asking "Have you forgotten our little deal?"

"No. I stay away from Blaine, and you'll stay away from my friends."

"That's how it started, but I thought it needed to be brought up to date. You do anything I don't like, and they will suffer."

Kurt's face went slack, the terror leaping onto his eyes even greater than it was before. He tried to protest "How will I know? I can't read your mind."

Dave smirked again "Easy. Don't disobey me. You are _mine_, and you will do what you're told."

Dave made another move, trying to touch Kurt, but Kurt shoved him away as hard as he could before attempting to run. It didn't work. Dave, clearly remembering the incident in the town, managed to catch his wrist and yank him back roughly before back-handing him viciously across the face. Kurt fell to the ground, clutching his face, his body limp with fear.

Dave stood over him and spoke angrily "If you do that again, I swear they'll all be dead before the next day. Last chance, Kurt."

He walked off, leaving Kurt slumped on the floor, too scared to even move, his jaw and the side of his face aching. Kurt had known Karofsky was possessive and a little unstable, but he had never expected something as physical as being hit. It had truly shocked him. Eventually, Kurt managed to climb to his feet, his head still reeling a bit from the blow. He began to move forward, with every intention of going to his room, but he had taken barely three steps before Blaine rounded the corner and caught sight of him.

Both young men froze for a second, Kurt debating the merits of running again and Blaine taking in the sight of Kurt standing unsteadily, one side of his face red and swollen, his eyes wet from unshed tears.

Blaine broke the silence, swiftly making his way to Kurt's side as he asked "Kurt, what _happened_ to you?"

The sheer worry and concern in Blaine's voice, despite everything Kurt had done to him, broke down Kurt's fragile shields and he all but fell into Blaine's arms, allowing the tears he had been holding in to fall as he buried his face in Blaine's shoulder, feeling Blaine's strong arms come around his waist and hold him tightly and securely. For every breath Kurt took, filled with Blaine's scent, he felt a little of the fear inside him leave as he breathed out. After a few minutes in the embrace, Kurt felt almost safe again.

"Kurt, you have to tell me what happened. I've never seen you in such a state."

Kurt too a deep breath and the truth came rushing out "Karofsky hit me when I tried to stop him touching me."

Blaine's face switched in a second, from concerned to utterly apoplectic. He began to move away, but Kurt clung to him and said frantically "Blaine, don't! You can't go near him, please. Please, please don't talk to him, please!"

"Kurt, you can't expect me to just let him get away with hitting you!"

"He'll kill you if he finds out I told you!"

Kurt's desperate attempt made Blaine pause and turn to look at Kurt properly, his face a cross between disbelief and confusion. When he saw that Kurt was absolutely serious, Blaine took Kurt's hand and said firmly "Kurt, you need to tell me _everything_."

Kurt hesitated only for a second, but Blaine looked so confident that he would be able handle things that Kurt explained everything. The threat, the consequences, the kiss, the newest development and what Karofsky had said. Kurt repeated every word. Once he had finished, Blaine looked like he'd been hit over the head.

Kurt ducked his head "That's all of it. That's the truth."

Blaine murmured "So… when you were avoiding me…"

"It wasn't because I wanted to. I did it because I couldn't bear to live in a world where you didn't."

Blaine's gaze cleared and he pulled Kurt back into a tight embrace, pressing their bodies together. Blaine nodded, almost to himself, before saying "Kurt, I promise you, he is not going to hurt you again. I'm going to look after you."

Blaine gently pressed his forehead to Kurt's and gazed at him earnestly before finishing "Now, go to your room, get that cheek seen to. I'll talk to you later, okay? We can't be seen together for now."

Kurt nodded, a smile starting to creep onto his face. They parted and the safe feeling lasted until Kurt got back to his room. He lay on his bed, a cold compress against his cheek. It was a few hours later that a gentle tapping came on his door and Quinn put her head around the door.

She came in and said "Prince Kurt? Puck asked me to give this to you."

Kurt frowned and took the slip of paper, waiting until Quinn left before unfolding it.

**_'Kurt,'_** it said **_'this is what you have to do. I'm going to leave as planned, so Karofsky doesn't get suspicious, but I'll come back on the wedding day. After the wedding, you need to go to your room and pack your worst clothes. Wait there and Puck will come and get you. He'll take you - on foot - to Santana and Brittany's. You'll stay with them until I can come and get you. It won't be more then five days. I'll get you, and we'll head for Westerville. Dalton is the safest place I can think of to take you. You need to destroy this note after you've read it, okay? I love you. Love, Blaine.'_**

Kurt sighed with relief. He was going to be okay. He went to do as Blaine said, but before he destroyed the note, he ripped off the last bit. He wanted to keep the physical proof that Blaine loved him. He knew that it was a very teenaged girl thing to do, but he couldn't help himself.

Kurt slept soundly that night.

Two days later was the day that Blaine was due to leave and Kurt didn't see him all day, though Samos was still in the stables, so Kurt presumed that he was packing. The day was spent with Mercedes and Tina, and it felt almost like old times again, gossiping about boys and dreaming of their futures. The oldest of them was Tina, who was nineteen, which made them all still relatively young, and while all of them had maturity beyond their years, sometimes it was good for them to act like irresponsible teenagers again.

Dave Karofsky stayed away, for which Kurt was thankful. The reconnection with Blaine filled his heart, and while Kurt was an excellent actor, he knew it would show. He couldn't help it. He was too much Blaine's man.

So the day passed pleasantly enough, though as the sun got lower in the sky, Kurt's mood dipped with it. He trusted Blaine's promise, but the thought of having him gone, even for a few days, scared him, because Karofsky would take this as a victory. So, even knowing the danger in them being seen together, Kurt couldn't help being disappointed that Blaine didn't come and see him.

That night, still fully dressed, Kurt lay on his bed and sighed unhappily. He had been… well, sulking, though Kurt refused to call it that out loud, for the better part of two hours when he heard a noise. Sitting up, Kurt waited until he heard it again. A clink of stone on glass. Someone was throwing stones at his window. Scrambling up perhaps a little too eagerly, Kurt went to his window and opened it, leaning out. Blaine stood at the bottom of it, a brilliant grin on his face as he beckoned Kurt down.

Kurt pulled on his boots and ran out of his room, through the palace and out into the courtyard, where Samos stood, tacked up and with a pack tied to the saddle. Next to the horse stood Blaine, holding onto his reins, with another pack at his feet and fully armed. To Kurt, he had never looked more dangerous, or more beautiful.

As Kurt walked over to him, Blaine winced and asked "How's your cheek?"

Kurt reached up to it and hissed as his fingers touched the inflamed skin. The redness had gone, as had most of the swelling, but in their place had come the bruising and Kurt now had a large purple-blue bruise on his right cheek. Blaine looked so guilty about it that Kurt smiled and said "Only painful when I touch it. It's fine, Blaine, honestly. I didn't think I was going to see you before you went."

Blaine reached out and took one of Kurt's hands with his free one "Did you really think I would leave you without saying goodbye? You think so little of me."

The last sentence was said teasingly, but Kurt still blushed and replied "No, I didn't think you would by choice, it's just…"

"Dangerous." Blaine finished "I know, but is it worth the risk?"

Kurt smiled again "To see you? Definitely. Always worth it."

"It won't be long before we won't have to worry about being seen. I don't know about you, but I'm going to be counting down the days until we're together again. Don't worry about Karofsky, I've asked Puck to keep an eye on him while he's here with you."

Kurt nodded and asked "Does Puck know everything?"

"He does. I needed his help, and to get that, I had to tell him the truth. Do you mind?"

"No, I'm just surprised he hasn't gone off to try and deal with Karofsky himself. It's all the excuse he would need."

"I managed to convince him it would do more harm than good."

They currently stood opposite each other, gazes fixed on each other's faces. Blaine tugged him closer by the hand, then wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist, urging their bodies together. Kurt rested his hands on Blaine's shoulders and leaned his forehead against Blaine's so that their breathes mingled. There was a look on Blaine's face, a look of uncertainty and almost fear. Kurt was about to call him out on it, when Blaine tipped his head to one side very slightly and tentatively pressed his mouth to Kurt's.

Kurt promptly went into shock because Blaine was _kissing_ him. His mouth was warm under Kurt's, his lips firm and dry. There was a breath and a sigh, and Kurt still hadn't moved, but when Blaine tried to pull away, something in Kurt's head went _no_, so Kurt put a hand to Blaine's cheek and kissed back, their lips more intertwined than pressed now. Finally, but still too soon, both boys pulled away, Blaine's lips now not so dry.

Kurt's eyes were wide with surprise and Blaine blushed as he asked quietly "I hope that makes up for your first kiss?"

Kurt wasn't lying when he responded breathlessly "That was my first kiss."

Blaine's grin could have lit up the entire city as he leant forward again, and this time, Kurt met him halfway, their lips colliding with purpose and passion, making up for the all the months that they had missed out on. It was perfect and wonderful and Kurt was loathe to break the connection, but they did have to breathe at some point.

Blaine mounted Samos before he could be tempted again and looked down at Kurt sadly as he said "I'm going to miss you."

Kurt stepped back, out of the way as he replied "Me too. It won't be for long."

"Not for long." Blaine echoed, repeating it in his head like a mantra as he spurred Samos forward and out of the courtyard, Kurt watching him go until he could no longer see him. With a heavy heart, Kurt went back to his room. If Blaine hadn't had to leave, it would have been a perfect scene. But things were never perfect in the world, and the joy Kurt felt at finally kissing Blaine would be as close as he could get.

* * *

><p>On the day of the wedding, Kurt woke up bright and early and watched the sun climb in the sky. He took great care in getting ready, then dressed in his best clothes and went to Finn's room, knocking firmly. After a few minutes with no response, Kurt walked in anyway. Finn was spread out under the covers, face down with a pillow over his head. Sighing, Kurt ripped the covers off. Finn yelled, but Kurt didn't take pity and yanked the pillow out of his hands.<p>

"Kurt!"

"Tough it up, you shouldn't have drunk so much last night. Get up!"

"Don't _shout_."

"You'll have to get up to make me stop!"

Finn groaned and rolled out of bed before levering himself into a technically upright position, though Kurt had his doubts at how long he would stay like that. "Go and get washed. I'm ordering breakfast to be brought here for both of us, and you _will_ drink at least three cups of coffee."

"Fine." Finn muttered, and stumbled into the bathroom.

Kurt sat himself down and waited. Once the food arrived, brought by Quinn and another maid, Kurt ate his healthy meal, wrinkling his nose at the smell of Finn's food. As if drawn by the scent, Finn emerged, wrapped in a towel and set about his food with gusto, while Kurt forced coffee down his throat.

Kurt helped Finn into his suit and took him down to the church that was attached to the palace. He left Finn in a little anteroom under strict instructions not to move so that the suit didn't get dirty. Kurt then went around the church, supervising the seating placements, the flower arrangements (snagging two for him and Finn) and checking that the reception was all ready to go. From about 11am onwards, guests began to arrive in their carriages and the church began to fill. Finn had been released and was pacing anxiously, watched with some amusement by Kurt.

Everyone was in their places by 12:15 and a few minutes later, the wedding march began. The congregation rose, and Finn and Kurt stepped out, before turning around. Tina and Mercedes came first, in pale blue bridesmaid dresses, with white flowers in their hair. They scattered rose petals on their way and soon after them came Rachel, her hand tucked into the crook of her father's elbow as they walked down the aisle. Finn's face when he saw his bride, resplendent in a long white dress, her long hair and face veiled, was almost cute. He was utterly stricken with love for her and Kurt could very easily find within himself happiness for his step-brother. He was almost looking forward to gaining Rachel as a sister.

Rachel's father, with tears in his eyes, placed his daughter's hand in Finn's and moved to sit on the bride's side of the church, next to the bridesmaids and another man, Rachel's uncle, her late mother's brother, who had helped raise her after her mother passed away.

The service started with Rachel's favourite hymn, then the minister began the wedding ceremony. Kurt allowed the words to wash over him, only tuning in when he was called upon to present the rings. Kurt preferred to watch Finn and Rachel, their faces shining with happiness, and Burt and Carole, Carole in tears watching her little boy get married and Burt comforting her, then Rachel's father and uncle, looking so proud, and then finally Mercedes and Tina looking beautiful, the latter unconsciously twisting her engagement ring. It had been nearly a year since Mike proposed, and they were also due to be married soon.

Kurt's thoughts then turned, inevitably to Blaine. Could he imagine himself up there, standing opposite Blaine, promising to faithfully spend the rest of their lives together? As Kurt attempted to do just that, he realised with a shock that not only _could_ he imagine it, but it came so _easily_. Spending the rest of his life with Blaine… Kurt could see that image really vividly. Incredibly vividly. It took him by surprise.

"… I declare you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kurt was jerked out of his thoughts just in time to see Finn raise Rachel's veil and kiss her gently. Cheering erupted throughout the congregation as everyone leapt to their feet to applaud the newly-weds. Grinning all over their faces, Finn and Rachel went up the aisle through a haze of confetti before exiting the church and being escorted to the ballroom in the palace, where the reception had been set up.

The royal family, Rachel, her father and uncle were all sat in the high table, and the guests were seated at other tables, leaving a good half of the ballroom free for the dance afterwards. The feast was opulent but not excessive and Kurt couldn't help looking along the line to his family. It was the first time he began to feel pangs at leaving them behind without a word.

The groom's speech was first, with Finn comically stumbling over his words until he started talking about Rachel. The father of the bride's speech was very sweet, with Rachel's dad nearly in tears at his little girl all grown up and married. Kurt was last, with a sarcastic, funny and on occasion sweet best man's speech. He had to be a bit careful, as he himself wasn't yet married, and Finn wouldn't have any problem with taking his revenge once the time came.

As the couple took to the dance floor for their first dance, everyone's attention was on them. Kurt wouldn't get another chance like this to slip away unnoticed, so he went. He went straight to his room, as instructed, and pulled out a couple of bags, mindful of the fact that Puck would be taking him on foot. He began to sort through his clothes, packing only the oldest and least luxurious. Apart from clothes, Kurt took a few mementoes, as well as a few pretty baubles, just in case he needed money, though he also took all the coin he had lying around.

It was still quite early on in the afternoon, and Kurt suspected that Puck would not come for him until dark, so there was really nothing to do but pack and wait. There were only two close calls, once when Quinn came in, and was surprised to see him. The second time was Burt, who had noticed his son's absence and come to check on him. Both times they were convinced by Kurt's story of feeling ill.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when a knock cam and this time, it was Puck, carrying a bundle of clothes. He threw them gently at Kurt and told him to change.

Kurt began to do so, saying "Thank you for doing this, Puck."

Puck nodded "No problem. Just glad you and Blaine managed to get yourselves together."

Kurt finished changing and looked down at himself in disgust "These are your clothes, aren't they?"

"I'm sure you'd rather not know. This was, you blend in. Just another servant running about the palace. We'll have to avoid anyone who knows you well, though."

Kurt agreed and picked up his bags. They began to make their way through the palace, Puck leading Kurt through the corridors quickly, before bringing him through the servant's area, out of the kitchens. Keeping to the lengthening shadows, the two young men crept through the grounds, still hearing the noise going on from the reception. They came through a side door that was usually locked, Puck grinning to himself as he pocketed the key. Once they were out of the palace, they relaxed a little. It was unlikely for anyone to recognise Kurt now.

It took them not more than half a hour to get to Santana and Brittany's home, and Puck only paused long enough to say "Blaine will be around three days, so stay prepared to go."

He went away swiftly and left Kurt with Santana. She was dressed in a white sleeveless nightdress and clutching a lantern. Silently, she led him out of the shop, through to the back room, before showing him where he would be sleeping, a mattress under the stairs.

As Kurt dropped his bags and sat down, Santana said "I know it won't be as comfortable as you're used to, but it's warm and safe."

Kurt smiled "It's fine, Santana, thank you. You're already running such a risk for me, I can't expect anything more."

Santana shrugged "Well, we'll put you to good use. You can help out Brittany and me in the shop, you just can't go outside."

"I guessed."

Santana turned away, but halfway up the stairs, she paused and said "I'm helping you not because of your position, but because you were nice to Brittany when Sam brought you here, okay?"

Kurt nodded "Okay."

Santana disappeared at the top of the stairs and Kurt, not even bothering to change, buried himself under the blankets and closed his eyes, attempting to go to sleep. It came easier than Kurt expected.

* * *

><p>The next day, Kurt was woken by Brittany, who held out a warm drink and a couple of slices of toasted bread. Sitting up, Kurt took them "Thank you, Brittany."<p>

"Are you living here now?"

"For a little bit, I am. Not forever."

Brittany nodded "Santana says to hurry up. We need to open soon."

Kurt ate quickly and dressed in the first things he pulled out of his bags. Usually, this would through Kurt into such a fit, but he knew well enough that he was a guest and he was living by different rules. It didn't stop him muttering under his breath about how disgusting he felt.

As the day progressed, Kurt learnt an awful lot about how people lived in this part of town. He watched as people spent nearly half a hour choosing between either buying food, or clothes that were desperately needed, whereas the society Kurt was used to wouldn't have hesitated at buying both. None of them would ever be put into a position where they had to choose between feeding or clothing their children.

Another thing Kurt noticed (while supervising Brittany, making sure she gave the right change or charged the right price) was that no one asked where the stock had come from or when more would be coming in. When Sam came to visit, carrying things that were both clearly stolen and too big to conceal, every customer present just averted their eyes.

It was a none too gentle introduction to a completely new way of life. Santana and Brittany worked hard as well, not closing the shop even for the midday meal. All three of them ate while moving. It was very dark when Santana poked her head out of the front door and declared "We may as well shut up shop. I don't think we'll be getting any more customers tonight. Brittany, are you eating here tonight?"

Brittany shook her head "No, I'm seeing Artie tonight."

Santana sighed "Off you go then. Don't come back late unless he escorts you. Don't forget your key."

"I won't!" Brittany sang out happily, waving the key in question as she ran out of the door.

Santana beckoned at Kurt as she said "Come upstairs. You can help me with dinner."

Kurt decided not to protest as he followed Santana up the stairs and out into her and Brittany's living space. Up the far end of the room was a double bed, hurriedly made. It was clear that both sides of the bed were slept in, but Kurt didn't ask. After all, who was he to judge?

There were a couple of chairs to one side, with a table in between them, A large closet was on the other side and then in the corner nearest to the stairs was a black stove with a kettle on top, two or three cupboards was a bucket of water, with pea pods and carrots next to it, then on another was a couple of dead rabbits.

Santana led Kurt over and said "Okay, you do the vegetables. You need to shell the peas, then wash them in that water, then peel, wash and chop the carrots. Don't forget to top and tail them."

Santana handed Kurt a knife, then moved to where the rabbits were and began to efficiently skin and gut them. Kurt stood frozen, the knife held loosely in his hand. After a few minutes, Santana turned and noticed him.

"What are you doing? Get on with it, or don't you want to eat tonight?"

"Okay." Kurt nodded, but didn't move and eventually managed to get out "I have no idea what you just said."

Santana frowned "You don't know how to _peel_ a _carrot_?"

"I've never had to do anything like this before."

Santana threw back her head and laughed, before coming over, taking the knife from him and demonstrating what she had told him to do, before telling him to get on with it. After that, they worked in companionable silence, Kurt trying not to watch what Santana was doing, knowing that if he did, it would completely put him off.

The dinner was done in three hours, rabbit stew with vegetables. By this point, Kurt was so hungry that it both smelt and tasted like the best food ever. There was idle small talk, Santana asking about life in the palace, what it was like to have people waiting on you all the time. Santana was sharp and not afraid of asking questions, so it was that Kurt felt as if he had given her a lot of information but got almost nothing in return.

So he asked a question "How come you and Brittany sleep in the same bed?"

Santana went pale, but answered promptly "One bed's cheaper than two. Shared body heat keeps us warmer in the winter."

Kurt nodded, but the expression on his face must have been disbelieving because Santana snapped "Don't look at me like that! Just because I have Puck doesn't mean you can label me!"

"I wasn't…"

"You were!" Santana yelled those two words, but abruptly calmed down and continued "Look, I like being with Brittany. I like sleeping in the same bed with her, I like holding her and I just like her. But I like Puck as well, and she likes Artie Abrams. It's not straightforward."

Kurt nodded and stood "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's not any of my business."

"You're right, it's not." Santana agreed "But it's okay."

Kurt went back down the stairs, settled on his mattress and dozed until he heard Brittany come in, before finally succumbing to sleep. He had strange dreams that night, but he barely remembered them when he woke.

* * *

><p>The next two days passed in a similar manner. Although it was not nearly long enough for Kurt to establish a routine, he knew he would miss the place. It had been his safe place and Santana and Brittany his most capable protectors. Despite Santana's irritability and Brittany's air-headed and innocent nature, they were lovely girls, and Kurt would miss them as well.<p>

But he couldn't wait to see Blaine again.

Santana and Brittany shut the shop when Sam turned up and after Kurt had checked that he was all packed, and Brittany had given him as much food as she could spare, the four of them sat down to pass the time in any way possible. They settled on cards. Kurt had played cards, but never games like this before. They weren't complicated, but they were designed as gambling games and Kurt hadn't gambled before. Sam was remarkably good at them and Brittany was better than expected, for the simple fact that you could never tell what was going on in her head.

It was getting on for 11 pm when a knock came at the door. Sam put Kurt behind him as Santana went to answer the door. There was a few minutes conversation before Santana stepped backwards and opened the door wider, as Blaine stepped through the doorway, a brilliant grin on his face.

Kurt stepped around Sam and ran at Blaine, who took two steps forward and opened his arms in time to catch Kurt up into them and spin him around despite Blaine being two inches shorter. Kurt's arms were locked around Blaine's neck and Blaine's arms were securely around Kurt's waist until he set Kurt back down, cupped his face and pulled him in for a passionate, relieved kiss. Kurt's hands were tangled in Blaine's curls as he surrendered happily to the insistent kiss. Their reunion would likely have gone on for quite some time had Sam not cleared his throat pointedly.

The two boys broke apart, Kurt's face painted red, and Blaine had a hint of a blush as well, but their hands remained linked as they walked over and sat down, Santana, Brittany and Sam, sitting opposite them.

The first thing Kurt asked was "How are my family?"

"They're okay." Blaine answered "Your dad's frantic. He believes you've been kidnapped. He's offered a reward and he's been sending the knights out looking for you."

"And you? Did Karofsky do anything to you?"

"No. He couldn't prove anything, because if I had kidnapped you, I wouldn't be hanging around. He's been giving me looks - you know the type - the ones that say _'if you know anything about this, I'll find out._' I suppose it was meant to be intimidating."

"So long as you're safe, I don't care."

Sam interrupted "So, how is this going to play out?"

Blaine changed his focus "Everyone at the palace believes I've gone home in order to continue the search. I've made it no secret about how much I care for Kurt, so they all think I couldn't have done it, no matter what Karofsky tries. We're going to leave everything that could possibly be traced here, and if you guys could get rid of it - in any way you see fit."

Santana grinned, and you could almost see the plotting going on behind her dark eyes.

Blaine asked "Santana, did you manage to get what I asked for?"

Santana nodded "I'll bring her around. Her name's Isla."

Blaine looked at Kurt and asked "Got your bags?"

"Yeah, I'll just bring them."

"Okay, meet us outside."

Kurt darted into the back of the shop, grabbed his bags and carried them outside. Blaine and Sam were taking what Kurt assumed was Blaine's luggage off Samos and over to where Brittany stood, holding another horse. Santana was tying the luggage onto the horse as Brittany murmured quietly.

As Santana took Kurt's bags, Kurt went to stand by Blaine and said "So this is Isla."

"Yeah. Samos is too easily tracked."

After the bags were on Isla, Blaine gave Kurt boost and got him up on Isla's back, silencing Kurt's protests by saying that they would take turns walking and riding. They started off up the road, Sam, Santana and Brittany waving as they left until they couldn't be seen anymore. As they left Lima's outskirts and got onto the main travelling road, Kurt let out a breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding. They had really done it. They had made it.

"Are you alright?"

Kurt looked down at Blaine's gorgeous face and nodded "Thanks to you."


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is going up very early, because I will have no time tomorrow (out all day, then at Cadets in the evening), no time on Saturday (GLEE CONCERT!) and no time on Sunday (catching up on all the things I was supposed to be doing on Friday and Saturday). Monday I go back to work, so it has to be now. I'm sure you all won't mind :D**

**Now, I feel have to warn you, I have done what most people do, and made up my own Warblers, who you will meet this chapter as well as pretty much interpreting Wes and David as I see fit, because they appear so little in the show. I really hope you do like them. They're nothing compared to some people's creations (like CP Coulter's), but I'm rather fond of them and I hope you will be as well. You also see my own interpretation of Blaine's home life. As for the hurt, I am a first aider, and thus I know a little of what I'm talking about. Trust when I say I may have exaggerated a little, but not by much.**

**I don't own Glee. I do own the concepts for all the Warblers bar David, Wes and Thad.**

* * *

><p>8.<p>

They travelled all the way through the night, Kurt drifting slightly, though he wasn't secure enough to actually sleep. As the sun rose, Blaine led Isla into the surrounding forests a small way, before helping Kurt down and tying Isla up. They curled up in each other's arms and slept for a few hours, waking when the sun was well into the sky. They ate breakfast, checked on the supplies, then Blaine mounted Isla and Kurt led her back out onto the road.

As they moved, Kurt asked "How far is it to Westerville?"

"70 miles or so. It won't take us more than five days to get there."

"Are people expecting you?"

"No. I thought it would be safer that way."

Kurt frowned "You haven't even told your parents?"

There was silence, and Kurt glanced back to see Blaine's face blank, but his eyes were burning with emotion, and his fists were clenched, gripping a bag in front of him tightly enough to rip it.

"Blaine?"

"No." Blaine's voice was clipped and tightly controlled "I haven't told them. They wouldn't care."

"You're their son, Blaine."

"What difference does that make?"

Silence reigned again and lasted for a little while until Blaine sighed and said "Kurt, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. It's just… I don't like talking about my family."

Kurt nodded "Apology accepted, Blaine. Also, I'm just saying, maybe you should. You can't keep it all bottled up inside you, it's not healthy."

"I will. But not now. Next time we stop, okay?"

Kurt agreed, and they stopped a little after midday, on the edge of a village that they were going to skirt around. Kurt tied Isla up, and pulled Blaine down to sit opposite him, facing each other so Kurt could see every emotion.

Haltingly, Blaine began "My mother and father were an arranged marriage. They thought that they could be friends, and that worked for the first few years, right up until I was five."

Kurt nodded encouragingly "Then what?"

"The arguments started. Silly things at first, but they rapidly escalated into personal attacks. By the time I was eight, the marriage was over, not that it had ever really been together. My father wouldn't pay for a divorce. They're separated, my father lives on one side of Westerville and my mother on the other. I don't see either of them. When I say they don't care, it's true. They're too caught up in their own petty dramas."

Kurt leaned forward onto his knees and hugged Blaine, the angle a bit awkward but the sentiment completely clear as Kurt murmured "I am so sorry."

Blaine coaxed Kurt into sitting on his lap (because the angle was less awkward) as he replied "Don't be. Going to Dalton's the best thing that could have happened to me. I found all these wonderful people there and I wouldn't have missed out on that for the world."

Kurt smiled "I'm glad. I'm looking forward to meeting them all."

Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead "You'll love them. I'll introduce you to Wes and David first, they're my best friends. They were the ones that yelled at me for two hours solid when I told them I was going to Lima."

"They yelled at you? I'm not sure I will like them."

Blaine laughed, a fond look on his face "It was done out of concern, I promise. It's like having brothers sometimes."

Kurt hummed in acknowledgement, and the two of them sat there for a few minutes more, Kurt's arms around Blaine's neck and Blaine holding him close, so that Kurt was surrounded by Blaine's scent. It was utter bliss and Kurt was quite sure that he could stay like this, in Blaine's arms, forever.

They pressed on again after a little while and travelled almost constantly until the sun started to set. It was safer to not stay on the road, so Blaine led them into the forest and as it got colder, he set up a fire and both of them cooked over it. Sleeping was surprisingly easy, as Kurt felt himself drift off, wrapped in Blaine's arms under a blanket next to the fire. It wasn't just how warm and comfortable he was, but how safe Kurt felt when he was around. From the adorable soft noises that Blaine was making as he slept, Kurt knew that he felt the same.

The next morning, Kurt woke up flat on his back, and when he opened his eyes, he looked into Blaine's hazel eyes. Blaine was on his front, his arms crossed on Kurt's chest and his face hovering over Kurt's. Before Kurt could utter a word, Blaine leaned down and pressed his lips to Kurt's. Kurt sighed and wound his hands into Blaine's curly hair, tugging gently as the kiss deepened and their tongues met.

They spent the next few minutes languidly exchanging kisses, Blaine trailing them all over Kurt's face and neck as Kurt's hands trailed down Blaine's back and slipped under his shirt, feeling the smooth, warm skin.

This likely could have continued for some times if Blaine's stomach hadn't rumbled, effectively breaking the mood as Kurt giggled and sat up, pressing one final kiss to Blaine's cheek before digging through the bags to find food.

Handing Blaine a hunk of bread and cheese, Kurt said "We're getting fairly low on food. We might need to make a stop."

Munching happily, Blaine nodded, before swallowing and replying "Okay, I'll take a look. We might be lucky. We've made good progress, as this rate, we'll get to Dalton either late tomorrow night or early morning in two days time."

Kurt smiled "Nearly there."

"I promised, didn't I?"

"You did."

Taking a look for himself, Blaine decided that they would need to get some food, and they would stop at the next village they came across. The conversation from then onwards consisted of working out how they would make sure that Kurt wasn't recognised. It was unlikely, but pulling a stunt like this always had risks. Eventually, it was decided Kurt would wear a hooded cloak and not speak at all it possible.

A couple of hours past midday, they saw a village. Quickly, they made their way to the grocers and Kurt waited outside with Isla. Blaine tried to be as quick as he could, but when he got back outside, Kurt was pale and trembling.

When he met Blaine's eyes, he muttered "A couple of guys approached me. I got them to go away, but they seemed suspicious. We've got to get out of here."

Blaine nodded and mounted Isla, needing to keep up appearances until they got out of the village. They had gone a couple of miles and were just starting to relax, when from out of nowhere, a knife was thrown, barely missing Isla's head and causing her to rear. Kurt and Blaine fought to control her and once she was calm again, they had been surrounded by various thugs, all crudely armed.

One of them stepped forward "Give us your valuables and no one will get hurt!"

Blaine dismounted and came to stand by Kurt, murmuring "Mount her, you're the better rider. When I yell 'now', ride as fast as you can away from here. Don't stop until you're sure you're safe."

Kurt nodded, his eyes wide with fear. As he mounted, Blaine snagged one of the loose bags and called out "Okay, okay, just don't hurt us. We're coming."

Kurt nudged Isla's sides and began to walk her forward. Blaine was also walking forward slowly, his hands spread in surrender. They weren't far away from their attackers when Blaine yelled "Now!"

He threw the bag he was holding at the leader's face, blinding him temporarily as Kurt sent Isla forward at a gallop, holding the reins in one hand as he held out his other arm to pull Blaine up. There was a panicked few minutes as shouts and arrows fly through the sky, but Kurt kept his head down and urged Isla to go faster, and hoped that Blaine's tight grip around his waist meant that he hadn't been hurt.

When they finally stopped, Kurt slid off Isla, but as Blaine went to do the same, his left leg collapsed under him as it took his weight.

Kurt caught him and asked frantically "Blaine, are you hurt?"

"My leg." Blaine replied, his voice surprisingly steady. "Arrow caught me."

Kurt looked down and felt sick. The arrow had hit Blaine's thigh, entering from the back and was nearly halfway buried into Blaine's flesh. Kurt reached forward to pull it out, but Blaine's hand over his stopped him.

"What?"

"Don't pull it out. There's nothing we've got that will bind the wound well enough to stop the bleeding. Right now, the arrow has to stay."

"It might get the infected! That wood and metal was hardly clean."

"It might. But if you pull it out, I _guarantee_ you I will die. Between maybe getting an infection, or definitely dying, I'll go with the former."

Kurt cursed quietly "We've got to get to Dalton fast."

"Ride Isla. We've been going at a walking pace because it'll stand out less, but if we push Isla, we might make it."

"By when?"

Blaine grinned painfully "Guess we'll see."

* * *

><p>Kurt helped Blaine back onto Isla, quickly checked that all the bags were still secure, before mounting Isla and spurring her on. Isla was a farm horse, not bred to go fast, but they were making better progress. They rode through the night, stopping briefly a couple of times to allow Isla to catch her breath. It had started raining at some point, so when they finally reached Westerville, both young men were soaked through to the skin.<p>

Kurt roused Blaine, who had been dozing, and he took the reins in order to guide Isla through the quiet streets. It was around four in the morning, so Kurt wasn't surprised at the lack of people. Eventually, the came up to the entrance to Dalton, which looked more like a very grand manor house rather than a training ground for knights.

Blaine hallooed and a voice quickly responded "Who's there?"

"Mayhew, just open the door."

There was a pause, then the voice asked "Blaine Anderson, is that you? What are you doing here?"

"At the moment, freezing to death. Let us in, Mayhew. I can vouch for my friend."

The gates swung back and Kurt trotted Isla in. Mayhew was a man of average height, with light brown eyes and hair, shivering under a black cloak. He caught Isla's bridle and a couple of servants came forward as Blaine and Kurt dismounted. As the servants saw to Isla and the bags, Mayhew came forward to clap Blaine on the arm and say "So what are you doing back?"

"Long story. Listen, is Tirrian still in charge of the first aid post here?"

"Yeah…"

"Wake him please. I need his help."

To his credit, Mayhew didn't ask questions, he just bolted off. Blaine and Kurt followed behind at a slower pace, Blaine leaning heavily on Kurt. Mayhew came back after a little while and helped Blaine limp into a large, sterile, white room, with another young man flitting about it, who had clearly just rolled out of bed. This was confirmed by his flyaway blond hair and top that was on backwards. He gestured with one hand to an empty bed and Blaine lay down on his stomach.

The young man turned and winced "Wow, Blaine, how did you manage that?"

"Ambush. Is it okay, Tirrian?"

"It will be. Mayhew, straighten the leg out. You, hold his hands. He's gonna need something to squeeze."

Kurt and Mayhew did as they were told as Tirrian bent over Blaine's leg, taking hold of the arrow and said "Okay, relax your muscle for me, Blaine. I need you to try and keep it relaxed and not tense, otherwise I may rip the muscle, and that'll double the healing time. Ready?"

Blaine nodded and Tirrian began to pull the arrow. Blaine's grip on Kurt's hands had immediately tightened, and his face was contorted with pain, but he didn't make a sound. Tirrian kept up a constant murmur of encouragement, and Kurt feathered kisses over Blaine's hands and face, hoping to comfort him.

After a couple of minutes, Tirrian stopped and asked "Still with us, Blaine?"

Blaine groaned "Yeah. Hurry up, Tirrian."

Tirrian gripped the arrow and began again. He had to keep stopping every now and again to adjust his grip, in order to make sure the arrow came out slowly and cleanly.

He stopped once more, in order to get gloves and a bandage ready, before pulling the arrow all the way out. He pulled on the gloves and quickly poured alcohol into the wound. Blaine yelled at that point, but Tirrian ignored him and applied pressure to the wound with a square of cloth. Mayhew came to help, as the cloth got soaked with blood and was replaced.

They went through five squares of cloth before the bleeding was got under control and Tirrian could wrap a bandage around Blaine's leg, applying even more pressure. With a sigh, Tirrian straightened up and carefully pulled his gloves off, throwing them away.

Blaine carefully levered himself up and off the bed, Kurt coming to support him as Blaine said "Thank you Tirrian."

"That's okay. How long are you back for?"

"For a little while. My plans aren't fixed."

Tirrian nodded, his dark blue eyes flicking very briefly to Kurt before saying "Well, I'll say goodnight, even though it's morning. Get some rest, Blaine."

Tirrian left and after confirming with Mayhew that their bags had gone to Blaine's old room, Kurt and Blaine set off. It wasn't too far, but Kurt didn't get much of a chance to observe the room as it was still dim, with the sun not yet up.

Blaine sat down on the bed and casually pulled off his wet top, throwing it to one side. He would have removed his trousers as well, but the bandage around his leg prevented him. Kurt was staring rather openly at Blaine's bare chest, and so was taken by surprise when Blaine spoke.

"Are you coming to bed?"

Kurt dragged his eyes from Blaine's body to meet his hazel eyes, dancing with mischief. Kurt flushed red and tried to answer, but no noise came out. Blaine reached and tugged Kurt over by his hand, settling him down on the bed next to him, saying "You need to get out of those wet clothes at any rate. You'll get sick."

Kurt nodded, but made no move. Blaine moved slowly, not wanting to alarm Kurt. He reached for the hem of Kurt's top and together, they pulled it off and threw it over to where Blaine's clothes were. There was a pause as Blaine licked his lips and then murmured "You're so beautiful, Kurt."

Kurt blushed again, but managed to find his tongue in order to return the compliment "So are you. You're amazing."

Without much conscious thought, Kurt reached out and trailed a hand down Blaine's chest, feeling his muscles and the light dusting of dark hair that covered his chest. Blaine had taken a breath of surprise and Kurt could feel him tremble.

Suddenly, Blaine rolled them on the bed, pinning Kurt underneath him and kissing him firmly. Kurt slid one hand into Blaine's hair and his other hand went to the small of Blaine's back, pulling him closer. Blaine's mouth moved down Kurt's body, kissing his neck and then down his pale chest. Kurt was tugging on Blaine's hair, urging him back up to Kurt's mouth, so they could kiss deeply and urgently, their chests sliding together. Blaine drew back briefly, up onto his knees, but in doing so, he agitated his wound and his face went pale.

Smiling all over his face despite himself, Kurt helped Blaine to lie down next to him. Blaine laid his head on Kurt's shoulder and promptly fell asleep. The feeling of protectiveness that welled up in Kurt as looked down at Blaine was more powerful than he had ever felt. With a kiss to Blaine's forehead, Kurt pulled a blanket over them and closed his eyes, sleep quickly pulling him under, the desperate ride and the adrenaline that had got him through it draining out of his body.

* * *

><p>The next morning, or rather, later on in that morning, Blaine was woken rather rudely by a very loud banging on the mahogany door and yelling, though not discernable. Blaine sat up, careful not to disturb a still sleeping Kurt, but before he could get any further, the door swung open and two men tumbled through, one dark skinned with a huge smile and the other with mocha coloured skin and an equally huge grin as they exclaimed "Blaine!"<p>

Blaine grinned delightedly as he quickly hushed them "David, Wes, be _quiet_. Kurt's a really light sleeper. I'm surprised you haven't woken him yet."

David smiled "That was kind of the point. Mayhew told us this morning before he went to bed that you'd arrived in the middle of the night, and you were with someone."

Wes nodded "So we wanted to find out who. And see you again, of course."

"Of course." Blaine echoed sarcastically. "Guys, it's great to see you again, but I'll be honest, if it wasn't for Kurt, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd still be in Lima."

"Well, we'll thank him when he waked. Kurt, huh? Kurt what?" Wes asked.

"Kurt Hummel."

David and Wes froze and David asked cautiously "Kurt Hummel? As in Bertram Hummel's son? As in the Crown Prince of Ohio? As in the one that's_ supposed _to be kidnapped!"

"Don't shout David. Yes, that Kurt Hummel."

Wes stared at Blaine, then at the sleeping figure next to him before saying "Blaine, you have to tell us everything."

Blaine did.

After the story was over, all three young men were looking at Kurt, one of them lovingly and the other two in surprise and wonder. David looked at Blaine and said "He's welcome to stay, Blaine. We'll keep his secret."

Blaine wrapped one arm around David's neck and one arm around Wes's neck and hugged both of them tightly "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The jostling of the bed shook Kurt and he blinked open blue eyes and asked quietly "Blaine?"

Blaine turned immediately, a soft smile on his face as he touched Kurt's face and replied "I'm right here, Kurt."

Kurt smiled back "Oh yeah. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm fine as well."

Kurt's eyes flicked to David and Wes, who were watching the little scene happily. Blaine caught the glance and introduced them "Kurt, this is David Tierman and Wesley Leung, better known as David and Wes."

Sitting up, Kurt held out his hand and David and Wes both shook it, David saying "It's a honour to have you here, Your Highness."

Kurt smiled ruefully "Blaine told you everything, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Then you should know that I'm barely a prince anymore. I'm just Kurt."

David nodded, before Blaine interrupted "Kurt, you look like you're still tired. Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll wake you when it's time to eat, okay?"

Kurt nodded and laid back down. Blaine climbed out of the bed, tucked the blanket in around Kurt's body and dropped a gentle kiss on Kurt's head before limping out of the room with a change of clothes, going to Wes's room in order to wash and change without disturbing Kurt.

Kurt felt himself being shaken awake a little over two hours later, opening his eyes to see Blaine, now clean shaven and smelling of soap. Blaine smiled "Wake up, sleepy. Bath's been drawn and you have a hour until lunch."

Kurt got up and went through the door Blaine indicated, to find a large bath filled with hot water and some kind of fragrance. Kurt slid into the water with a sigh, allowing the water to finish the job of relaxing him. He soaped himself and watched the dirt slide off into the bath water. It was incredible the amount of dirt that came off Kurt's body. He climbed out, dried off and came back out into the bedroom with a towel around his waist to find clothes.

Blaine was sitting on the bed, and his eyes widened as Kurt emerged, before carefully averting his eyes, knowing Kurt wouldn't be comfortable with his staring. After Kurt had dressed and had done his face and hair, he almost looked like his old self again. It gave Blaine quite a shock, but he held out his hand and together, they made their way down to the dining hall, Blaine leading the way. They got their food, then Blaine headed for a table where he could see David and Wes. As they sat, the questions started.

"Who's this?"

"When did you get back?"

"How long are you staying for?"

"Are you going to take back your old place?"

Blaine held up a hand, laughing as he replied "Okay, okay, enough with all the questions. I'll answer them all later. To start with, this is Kurt."

Wes added "Blaine's finally got himself a sweetheart."

Blaine glared briefly, but not with any true malice, before continuing "Anyway, Kurt, you know Wes and David already. Next to David is Perry Moore."

A tall man with dark brown hair and intense dark green eyes waved at Kurt but didn't pause in his eating.

"Perry's twenty-four and the horse-master here. He teaches the students. Next to Perry is Alessio Salvatori."

A young man who seemed to be about Blaine's age looked up. He had an olive skin tone, with wavy black hair and eyes that almost seemed black as well. He greeted Kurt quietly in what appeared to be his own language "Buongiorno."

"Alessio's Italian, as I'm sure you could tell. He's twenty and teaches bush craft. Next to Alessio is Christopher Calway."

Christopher, who had brown-blond hair and blue eyes, had already finished eating, and was watching Kurt with great interest, so when his name was said, he grinned and said "Hi."

"Christopher's our sword master. Most of the students can only dream of besting him, which at twenty-three isn't bad. Next to him is Oliver Riddell."

Oliver had also finished eating, but he hadn't been as obvious as Christopher by staring. Oliver was a thin, pale young man with chestnut brown hair and deep grey eyes.

"Oliver teaches archery here. I'd like to see you and Oliver go bow to bow sometime, Kurt, though he's twenty-one, so he does have three years more experience than you. Opposite Oliver is Ronan O'Kelly."

A big man with flame red hair and pale blue eyes waved a hand and greeted Kurt through a thick accent.

"Ronan's Irish and he's the oldest of us all at twenty-five, which kind of makes him the unofficial counselor of the students here. Along from Ronan is Garrett Wilson, who's also twenty-three."

Garrett was shorter than Blaine, if that were even possible, with pale blond hair, brown eyes and a permanent smile. He took a breath as if to say something, but Blaine quickly carried on.

"Garrett's the other night watchman here. He alternates with Mayhew every month so both of them get a chance to be awake during the day. Next along is Tirrian Price, who you know, he's twenty-one then next to me is Thaddeus Elroy, who prefers Thad and he's twenty-two."

Thad leaned around Blaine to shake Kurt's hand as Blaine said "He, Wes and David are the council members, and they're the ones responsible for running this place, along with, unofficially, me."

Kurt looked at Blaine in surprise "You're a council member?"

Blaine hushed him quickly "Only on occasions. Despite there being three of them, you'd be surprised how many times there's been a deadlock. It's kind of ridiculous."

Kurt nodded his understanding and then smiled shyly "It's nice to meet you all."

"Hey!"

Everyone looked up to see where the voice had come from and Blaine grinned when he saw who, then murmured to Kurt "Nicholas Drury and Jeffrey Hughes. Nick and Jeff just graduated and they're the only two of their class to stay on at Dalton."

Kurt watched as the pair came over and Nick asked "Any room for two more?"

"Here." Christopher said "Me and Oliver were just finished. The boy next to Blaine is Kurt, before you ask."

Christopher and Oliver cleared out and Nick and Jeff sat down, both flashing friendly grins at Kurt as they dug into their food. The conversation flowed easily and all the Dalton knights made an effort to include Kurt. It was fairly easy, as any story from the last year or so also needed to be explained to Blaine as well.

* * *

><p>After eating, Blaine took Kurt on a tour of Dalton. As they walked around the house and the grounds, Blaine explained how the schooling worked. "We get the new intake when they're fourteen. Sometimes we take boys a little younger but not often. They come to us in the beginning of June, and they start lessons straight away, though it's gentle because for a lot of them, it's their first time away from home and their parents. They stay with us until they're eighteen, and they graduate in mid-May. Usually a small number stay on, like Nick and Jeff, but most go back to their estates."<p>

"Holidays?"

"They get a month off every year, whenever they want. They also get religious days off."

Kurt nodded, leaning against a fence and looking out over the fields, watching as some of the horses grazed along the far edge of the field. He felt, more than saw, Blaine move to stand behind him, one arm sliding around his waist and the other hand covering Kurt's resting on the fence. There was no conversation, both young men were perfectly comfortable together. No words were necessary. Kurt leant his head back onto Blaine's shoulder and they just stayed like that.

Finally, Kurt whispered "Thank you for bringing me here."

Blaine turned his head and pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple "That's okay."

The rest of the tour was conducted almost lazily, as Blaine finished it off hand-in-hand with Kurt the whole time.

When they went back into Dalton, they came across Thad, who smiled "Hi, you two. Come with me for a bit. The council has something it needs to discuss."

Blaine nodded, but Kurt asked hesitantly "Should I go? I'm not a council member."

"No, you need to come. The meeting is about you."

With a raised eyebrow, Kurt followed Thad into an ornate little sitting room. Wes and David were already there, sitting side by side, as well as, unexpectedly, Oliver. Blaine and Kurt sat down and Thad came to stand by David.

Wes started "First of all, Kurt, I hope you don't mind, but all of the Warblers have been informed about the general circumstances that brought you here. They know no specifics, just that you will be here for some time, and under no circumstances should they tell anyone who you are."

"Okay, but the Warblers?"

"Nickname." Thad explained "That's the staff here. The symbol of Dalton is a Warbler, so the staff are called the Warblers. It's not very intelligent, I know, but the students seem to think it's funny."

Wes carried on "Anyway, the second reason is that as you're going to be with us for a while, we thought you would like something to occupy your time with."

"Something that isn't Blaine." David added with a smirk.

Kurt turned red, especially with the memory of the morning, but he replied "That depends on what you were planning on occupying my time with."

"Well," continued Wes. "We have a shortage of decent archers here at Dalton who are willing to teach. We were wondering if you would teach archery along with Oliver?"

Kurt was certainly a little surprised by the request. For a start, he had no idea how any of them knew he was good enough. He glanced at Blaine sitting next to him and got his answer. Blaine looked like an excited puppy as he waited for Kurt's answer.

Kurt looked at him properly "This was your idea."

Blaine didn't even bother trying to deny it "Yeah. Is it a good one?"

Kurt glanced over at Oliver and asked "Do you mind?"

Oliver shook his head "Not at all. I've never had someone to palm the students I don't like off on."

Kurt laughed "Thanks Oliver. In that case, Wes, I'd love to."

Wes smiled "That's great. David has arranged it so that you can start tomorrow. I'm sure by that point, Oliver will have worked out who to pass on to you. Oliver, maximum of ten please. No need to overwhelm Kurt."

Oliver nodded and left the room, saying something about getting some practice in. Wes and David moved on to discussing something else, with Thad putting in his suggestions every now and again.

For the rest of the day, Kurt was ridiculously excited. He got simultaneously congratulated and scared by the other teachers, who seemed to enjoy telling horror stories of some of the students they used to have until Blaine, rather protectively, told them to shut up. With some final, good-natured, parting shots, they did as they were told.

The next morning, the excitement had turned into nerves. Oliver picked him up from the room he shared with Blaine after Blaine had given him a good luck kiss. On their way to the archery field, Oliver explained what was expected and assured Kurt that he would be fine. When they arrived, standing under the shelter were five boys, all of them appearing to be about fourteen years old, which meant they were new.

Kurt went over and the conversation immediately stopped as the boys looked at Kurt. Kurt glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand and said "Okay, when I say your name, please step forward. Indigo Casson. Ellis Johnson. Lionel Moss. Llewellyn Moss. Zachary Rose."

Kurt watched as the five boys lined themselves up, then spotted the twins trying to restrain their laughter and Kurt sighed "Lionel. Llewellyn. Are you four or fourteen? Switch places, where you are _supposed_ to be."

"How could you tell?"

"One, you're similar, but not completely identical. Llewellyn, you have a scar on your left temple. Lionel doesn't. Two, neither of you were particularly subtle, and three, Oliver warned me about you two. You're lucky you weren't separated."

Suitably chastened, the twins changed their places and Kurt continued with the lesson. He chose the bows, put them on the lightest draw weight and then watched them shoot for a bit, correcting their stance and teaching them the safest way to shoot and retrieve their arrows.

To Kurt's surprise, the smallest and quietest of the boys, Indigo Casson, was the best in terms of accuracy, though he would have to stay on a light weight for a while. Ellis Johnson was pulling heavier weight already.

* * *

><p>After the lesson, Kurt was making his way back to Dalton when he was intercepted by Blaine, who grinned and said "I was just coming to find you. How was the lesson?"<p>

Kurt smiled broadly "It was wonderful! I didn't realise how much fun it could be to teach."

With their arms linked, they headed back in the direction Blaine had come from, Kurt talking nineteen to the dozen about the lesson and Blaine listening in what seemed to be genuine interest.

It made Kurt love him even more and with that thought, Kurt realised that he had never said that out loud to Blaine. They both knew how the other felt, but it wasn't the same as hearing it said, so Kurt stopped Blaine from entering the building. Blaine looked surprised, but Kurt ignored the questioning look, cupped Blaine's face in his hands and said quietly but assuredly "I love you."

Blaine's face went slack with shock "Kurt…"

"I just realised that after everything you've done for me, I had never said it. And I do, Blaine. I love you so much that I don't even know how I contain it. Every time I look at you, I feel like my heart's going to burst with love because there is _no way_ I could keep it inside me and…"

Kurt was abruptly silenced as Blaine literally crashed his lips onto Kurt's, kissing him so passionately, it felt as if he was trying to steal Kurt's breath from his lungs. Kurt gripped Blaine's face, coercing it upwards and kissing back, trailing his tongue across Blaine's lips before slipping it into his mouth, tangling it with Blaine's own tongue.

The sensations seemed so much stronger now that Kurt had voiced his feelings out loud, and Blaine seemed to agree as between kisses, he panted out "I do too, I mean, I love you, Kurt. I love you."

With a moan, Kurt recaptured Blaine's lips, not even trying to be gentle. Their bodies were pressed tightly together and Kurt couldn't help moaning again as he felt Blaine's arousal press up against his own. Kurt shifted his hips and the small amount of friction felt so good that he repeated the action, and after a few seconds, Blaine responded in kind and the heat curling through Kurt's body doubled. He was close, already so close…

"WHOA!"

Blaine and Kurt stilled all movement and sprang apart, Kurt turning his head to see Ronan and Perry, Ronan looking away and Perry staring. Without looking up, Ronan said "Next time the two of you feel the urge to do… _that_, how about you do it someplace that isn't public. I'm not sure that the students _and_ the staff really need to be exposed to soft core porn."

Kurt blushed, as did Blaine, but before either of them could respond, Ronan continued "So, I'm going to go and leave you to do… yeah. Come on, Perry."

"Coming." Perry answered absently, but as he moved towards the door, he patted Kurt's shoulder and whispered "Well done. That was hot, so carry on boys."

Kurt hadn't realised it was possible to get even redder until he did. With a wink, Perry followed Ronan, and Kurt faced Blaine again, who was equally red, but looked oddly proud as he leaned forward to put his mouth next to Kurt's ear and murmur "If that's how you react when I tell you I love you, I'm going to be doing it more often."

Kurt felt a bolt of desire shoot through him, but still manage to reply indignantly "How _I_ reacted? _You're_ the one who started kissing me senseless."

Blaine blushed as well, but still grinned "Well, it was really nice to hear."

Kurt took Blaine's hand and pulled him into the building as he said "In that case, how about we go back to our room and continue in private?"

Blaine nodded, and then it would be hard to tell which one of them moved quicker to get back to their room.


	9. Chapter 9

**First of all, I would like to say: GLEE CONCERT WAS AWESOME! If you'd like a more in detail description of how awesome it was, if you go to my profile and then click on the link to my homepage, the essay is there :D**

**Secondly, I would like to apologise about the little chapter. This one just didn't lend to something like 6000 words like the last two, but it is still a respectable size. I really hope you like this one, and to the person who said they were fond of Perry, you will see a little more of him this chapter. In other news, this story is finished, which means there should be (fingers crossed) no more delays in posting. There are three chapters and a epilogue after this, so by late July, it will be over!**

**I don't own Glee**

* * *

><p>9.<p>

By the beginning of July, Kurt had happily settled into a routine, and he had almost repressed the horrible experience that had forced him into Dalton in the first place. Every morning, Kurt woke up in wrapped in Blaine's arms, and had to carefully extract himself in order to not disturb him. By the time Kurt had washed and dressed, Blaine would be awake and they would spend a few minutes exchanging tender kisses. Blaine would quickly get dressed and the two of them would go down to breakfast together.

Afterwards, Kurt would go to the archery fields and take his class. Lionel and Llewellyn, not deterred by the failure of their initial trick, continued in their mischief making, but they also worked hard so Kurt couldn't be too angry. Indigo remained quiet and focussed, and Kurt had seen him practicing at all hours. Zachary and Ellis had struck up quite a friendship, and the rivalry that accompanied it ensured that they made quick progress as well. Kurt could see why Dalton boys were so highly thought of. Even at fourteen, Kurt could see that his five boys were going to be great knights.

Kurt and Blaine would meet again for the midday meal, and the afternoons were nearly always spent together, if Blaine had no council duties. Kurt would watch Blaine help out with Christopher's class, and he would get to see Blaine's skill with a sword again, which was still superior to anything Kurt had ever seen, bar Christopher's skill. Blaine would watch Kurt help Oliver with his older students, and marvel at how well Kurt held his own.

If they had no classes, they would take long walks around the grounds, always touching in some way, and they would talk about everything and anything, going from serious to flippant in the blink of an eye.

But the nights… Oh, for Kurt, the nights were best. Most of the others would stay up past dinner, but Blaine and Kurt would head for their room, to relearn each other's touch and taste and smell. They hadn't gone all the way yet, both of them were nervous, but still the intimacy between them grew each night they spent kissing and touching, learning every inch of each other's bodies. It was times like these, when Blaine was naked beneath him, panting out Kurt's name in broken gasps as Kurt brought him to completion with his hands and mouth, that Kurt felt as if he could not love Blaine anymore than he already did.

Even the memories made Kurt shudder with desire. Yes, the nights were the best, but it was the overall experience of just being with Blaine that made him pray, as he had never done before, that they would never be parted.

* * *

><p>It was one afternoon in mid-July that Kurt, as he was walking back from his lesson, was called and on turning, he saw it was Perry. Perry quickly caught up and said "I won't stop you for long, I just wanted to ask you a question."<p>

"What is it?"

"I was taking my class out for a hack, but it got around the students, and now, there are more than Alessio and I can take out safely. Will you come along and be a third? Blaine mentioned that you enjoyed riding."

Kurt grinned "Yes, I'd like to. Is there a horse I can borrow?"

"Yeah, that's fine, just meet at the stables after lunch. You can bring Blaine along if you'd like."

Over lunch, Kurt asked Blaine just that, but Blaine declined, saying that he had already promised to help Christopher again, so Kurt went to the stables with Alessio and Perry, the latter talking happily. Kurt was allowed to borrow a young stallion named Shadow and soon, the two Warblers, fifteen students and Kurt left the stables and went into the surrounding forests.

It was a very enjoyable ride, and with Kurt at the back, he got to observe Perry and Alessio. They had quite different riding styles. Perry had clearly been well trained, and his control over his horse was admirable, but it was still a control. Alessio, however, seemed as if he were an extension of the horse and the whole manner in which he rode made it all seem so natural, as if horses been created for this exact purpose.

They stopped and had a break before they headed back, and Kurt sat with the other two, learning a little more about them, He had thought that Alessio was quiet and shy, but he was simply not an instigator. Once he was started on a subject he was passionate about, it was hard to stop him, or even to understand him, as Alessio had a habit of slipping back into his native Italian.

What fascinated Kurt more, however, was Perry's reaction.

His eyes were fixed on Alessio, even when Kurt spoke, Perry could hardly drag his eyes away. His body language was open and inviting. Perry was leaning slightly towards Alessio, and took any opportunity that he could to touch Alessio, even if it was a touch on the shoulder to get him to calm down, or a hand to help him to get to his feet to back on his horse. It was so obvious to Kurt that Perry was at the very least, highly attracted to Alessio. Alessio appeared to be completely oblivious.

Kurt couldn't help feeling sorry for Perry. It was a horrible situation to be in.

When they got back to Dalton, after stabling Shadow, Kurt found Perry, rubbing down his horse. He looked up when Kurt entered and said welcomingly "Hi Kurt. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I want to ask you a question, but I realise it's a bit upfront, so you are welcome to refuse to answer and to tell me to stop being so nosey."

Perry laughed "It sounds bad. What is it, Kurt?"

"Are you gay?"

Perry stopped running the comb over his horse momentarily, before continuing and asked "What made you think that?"

"Does that mean you're not?"

"No, no, I am, but most people tell me I'm not obvious about it, so I was wondering what made you think that. Do you just have an amazing gaydar?"

Kurt laughed a bit at that and replied "I don't think so. The thing that made me suspect is actually my second question."

"Go ahead."

"Do you like Alessio?"

This time Perry dropped the comb entirely. The whole scene was still for a moment, before Perry moved out of the stable, found a stable-boy to take over and then answered Kurt's question as they began to walk back to the main building.

"No, I don't like him. I'm in love with him."

"How long?"

"Two years."

Kurt places a hand on Perry's shoulder in sympathy as he said "Oh, Perry. Why haven't you told him?"

Perry laughed hollowly "Oh, no reason. It's just that he's four years younger than me, my best friend and most importantly, he's straight."

The sheer pain in Perry's voice prevented Kurt from saying anything, so he just reached up and hugged Perry. Perry froze for a few minutes, but returned the hug. When they moved apart, there were tears in Perry's eyes, but his voice was steady as he asked "How did you know? I haven't told anybody what I feel for him."

Kurt smiled softly "It was how you looked at him. I think it's the same way I look at Blaine. It's definitely the same way he looks at me."

"You have no idea how lucky you are, loving someone who loves you back."

"It wasn't without some trials. Especially because I was very stupid for a long time. I know I hurt him badly. I think it's part of the reason we're so close now. We know what it's like to be apart."

Perry nodded "You think I should tell him."

"Frankly, yes, but that's up to you."

Perry nodded again and then disappeared into dinner. Kurt went to find Blaine, who turned out to be in their room, washing the dust and dirt off his face. Once he was dry, Kurt went over and kissed him firmly. Blaine reciprocated easily, but when they pulled apart, Blaine asked quietly "Not that I don't love kissing you, but what was that for?"

Kurt shrugged, his hands on Blaine's chest "I'm just glad we found each other."

"Uh-huh, and the rest of it."

Kurt sighed. Sometimes it was a bit annoying that Blaine knew him just as well as he knew himself.

"Did you know? About Perry?"

"What, that he's gay? Yeah. I know he's not obvious, but you're not that surprised, are you?"

"Not just that he's gay. Did you know that he's in love with Alessio?"

Blaine raised his eyebrows and shook his head slowly "No, I didn't, but thinking about it, it does make sense. They're always together."

"So are Wes and David, but they're not gay."

"That's what you think."

Kurt pulled back a bit to stare at Blaine "You're kidding."

Blaine grinned "Yeah, I am."

"Good, you scared me for a second."

Blaine reached up and cradled Kurt's face with one hand as he got serious again and asked "Is this what's got you upset, that Perry's in love with Alessio?"

Kurt bit his lip, his eyes on the floor as he replied "Not exactly. It's that Perry's been in love with Alessio for years and he's never said anything and I was thinking what might have happened if you or I had taken that long."

Comprehension dawned on Blaine's face and he pulled Kurt in close, holding him tightly as he whispered "Don't think about it. It didn't happen. We're here, we're safe, I love you, you love me and he is_ never_ going to touch you again. I promised and I don't break my promises."

Kurt nodded, reassured, but Blaine was still replaying the conversation through his mind and it helped him finalise a decision he had been putting off making. He was going to see his parents.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Blaine left once Kurt was safely teaching. He hadn't wanted to tell him and worry him. This was something he had to do himself. He rode to his mother's house first, as she was closer to Dalton. He managed to persuade her to come with him, as he wanted to tell both of them together. After being reassured it wasn't going to affect any of her plans, his mother agreed.<p>

Mary Anderson was a small woman, still very beautiful despite her age, though you could see that she had once been stunning. The life she now lived had soured her. She wasn't stupid, but she was very self-absorbed. On the way to his father's house, all Blaine heard about was how her life was going, without any inquiry about his.

Blaine's father, Richard Anderson, was a little more obviously disapproving and from the looks he was shooting Mary, Blaine realised he'd better get to the point of his visit quickly.

Once both Richard and Mary had sat down, as far away from each other as they could, Blaine, with no preamble, said "I've found the person I want to marry."

It felt really good to say that out loud, but Blaine quickly pressed on, turning to his father and saying "I'd like the money you promised me on getting engaged."

Richard seemed to think it over before asking "Is it a girl?"

Blaine sighed "No, Father, of course it's not. You know I'm gay."

"You might have come to your senses. You know it doesn't help our family's status in the slightest."

Blaine had to laugh at that "Our _family_? What family? Anyway, being gay isn't a crime."

"Nor is it socially acceptable."

"Only in your outdated mind! How can it not be socially acceptable when a member of our royal family is gay?"

Richard stood up and said firmly "Do not raise your voice at me, Blaine. I see no reason why I should oblige you if you will not oblige me. I won't give you the money. You've had quite enough out of me over the years at any rate. If you still plan on marrying a _man_, you can use your own money."

Blaine didn't know why he had been expecting anything different. He turned to his mother, opening his mouth to ask her to try and make his father see sense, but she interrupted him "Don't bother, Blaine. I can't make him do anything. You know how mean your father is with money. After all, he barely gives me enough to live on."

Richard snorted "Don't be ridiculous, Mary, I give you plenty to live on. You just have an overly expensive lifestyle. You don't need new dresses every week and you certainly don't have to throw parties every time one of your silly friends so much as breathes."

Mary snapped back "I have a social standing to maintain as well, Richard. It's ridiculous the amount of things I have to go without, just because you keep it all in order spoil your latest mistress! Which blonde slut are we on this week?"

Blaine left, not particularly wanting to hear the argument. It was one that was repeated with regularity, and while at first it had been terrifying, it was now just boring. Blaine had done what he had set out to do. He hadn't even bothered saying goodbye. He doubted his parents would have noticed.

* * *

><p>Blaine got back to Dalton in time for lunch and met up with Kurt, who appeared to be none the wiser about Blaine's visit. After lunch, Blaine took Kurt on a walk, as was their habit, but this time, Blaine was building up to something and Kurt could sense it. Blaine was fidgeting and filled with nervous energy.<p>

When they reached the small clearing where they usually stopped, Kurt found himself being spun around to face Blaine. He looked at that dear face for a few seconds before leaning in and giving him a chaste kiss. Blaine returned it gratefully and for a little while, they just stood there, exchanging short, sweet little kisses, before Blaine stood back a step, took a breath and let it out.

"Are you all right, Blaine?"

Blaine smiled and replied "Yes, I'm fine. There's just something I need to say. Kurt, I know that the situation we're in is unstable and that it's not likely to last. I know it's been a hard few months and I never imagined something like this happening when I first came to Lima."

Kurt nodded, not trusting his voice. What could Blaine be driving at?"

Blaine continued, and his voice was now filled with emotion "But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. When I came to Lima, I had no idea I would find someone like you. I love you, Kurt. I love every tiny thing about you and I'm sure I will love everything I don't yet know about you. This situation is unstable but we are not and I want to show that to everyone we can."

Blaine got down on one knee, pulled a velvet black box with one hand and held one of Kurt's with the other. He put the box into Kurt's hand as he finished "Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?"

Kurt had one trembling hand over his mouth as his other held the box, which was now open to reveal a silver ring, set with a single square cut diamond that sparkled even in the minimal amount of sunlight that fell upon it. Kurt's blue eyes were fixed on the ring, and there was silence for a few seconds before Kurt closed the ring box. Blaine's face fell, but not for long as Kurt threw himself at Blaine, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck and crying into his ear "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"

Blaine grinned widely as they drew apart and Kurt handed him back the ring box so Blaine could open it, remove the ring and slide it into place on Kurt's left ring finger.

As he did so, Blaine explained "I chose silver because I've never seen you wear gold unless you have to."

Kurt smiled "I prefer silver. Blaine, it's perfect. The whole thing was absolutely perfect."

"I'm glad. I was so nervous."

Kurt didn't answer verbally, just tipped Blaine's head up gently and kissed him passionately, letting him feel the love and devotion through that single, soul-searing kiss. When they pulled apart, Blaine looked dazed and grabbed Kurt's hands to steady himself, before murmuring "Oh, your hands are cold."

Kurt responded just as quietly "You know what they say about cold hands. Means that you have a warm heart."

Blaine moved a hand over Kurt's chest and said "Yeah, that's true."

They stayed in that glade in the middle of the forest for some hours, lying on the ground entangled together, communicating more through touch than by voice. Anyone observing would have though that they could read each other's minds. When they got back for dinner, Wes and David were the first to rush over, Blaine having informed them beforehand. They took one look at Kurt and without even seeing the ring, they yelled "He said yes!"

It seemed that contrary to Blaine's request for them to keep their mouths shut, Wes and David had in fact told the rest of the Warblers, who had leapt to their feet, cheering and clapping and whistling. It would have been really sweet if it hadn't been so embarrassing, and Kurt and Blaine sat down at the table with blushes on their faces, though it was more obvious on Kurt because of his pale skin.

After dinner, Blaine was heading back to his room (Kurt had gone ahead), when he spotted Perry and Alessio talking quietly. He watched for a few minutes, as Alessio patted Perry's shoulder and walked away, leaving Perry staring after him. Blaine debated internally for a few minutes before moving forward.

He reached where Perry was standing and asked "Are you okay?"

Perry looked at him "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I know how hard it is to think that the person you love doesn't love you back."

"How did you…?" Perry began, before a self-depreciating look crossed his face and he finished "Of course. Kurt told you."

"Don't be angry with him."

"I'm not, I'm angry at myself. I should have guessed he'd tell you. There are no secrets between couples like you and Kurt."

There was really nothing Blaine could say to that so he stayed silent, waiting for Perry to continue.

Perry leaned his head back against the wall and sighed "You know, when Kurt said I should tell him, for a minute, I allowed myself to hope. I allowed myself to imagine it. I was stupid."

"Is that what you were talking about?"

Perry laughed bitterly "No, Alessio was talking to me about the girl he had just met."

"Oh, Perry…"

"He was raving about how pretty, how nice, how kind she was. You should have seen him Blaine, he was nearly glowing. He's straight. Telling him anything would just screw up our friendship."

"Perry, I…"

"No, Blaine." Perry shook his head "I'm not talking about it anymore. Go on, go to Kurt, your fiancé who's waiting for you. You're wasting your time with me."

Blaine knew the look on Perry's face, and he could see the ghost of the pain in his eyes, so Blaine left him, like instructed and went to Kurt, allowing his fiancé to hold him and comfort him, because for both of them, Perry's struggles awoke dark imaginings in their mind.

Dalton was beautiful, and safe, but it was by no means perfect. Kurt would blame that knowledge for what happened next.


	10. Chapter 10

**God, the end is getting near, isn't it? Unfortunately, with this chapter comes the return of the angst. It couldn't be all happy and jolly forever. Thank you to everyone for your continuing support. Your reviews make my day every single time I get one. I obsessively check my e-mails because of it. Please don't let up now! I love talking to you and hearing your opinions and what you think will happen next. Some of you are scarily accurate. I didn't know there were so many mind-readers in the world!**

**Oh, and to _JVMontaine: _Thank you so much for your review! As for your little puzzle, I promise you that the reason why they ran instead of telling someone will be explained. I realised it wasn't quite within character, so I promise there is a good reason. **

**I don't own Glee. You would think I could come up with something wittier, but it's the ninth of July and I'm in mourning. I have excuses.**

* * *

><p>10.<p>

A month later and Kurt jerked out of his sleep and sat bolt upright, breathing heavily and shaking. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead and wiped it away in disgust. Knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, Kurt threw the covers back and climbed out of the bed, careful not to disturb a still-sleeping Blaine. He stepped into his boots and walked out of the room, making his way to the courtyard to look up at the moon and the stars.

"Hey, Kurt."

Kurt looked over and sighed "Hi Mayhew."

Mayhew beckoned Kurt over from his little room, where he sat while carrying out night watchman duties. Kurt walked over and settled down into a chair. Mayhew handed him a glass of water and said "You know, that's a perfect record, every night this week. I swear Garrett said it wasn't that bad."

Kurt sipped his water and answered "That's because for Garrett, they weren't. He only ever saw me once, twice a week at the most. They're getting worse."

Mayhew frowned "And you still haven't told Blaine?"

"I don't want to worry him."

"He'll find out eventually! All he has to do is wake up during the night and find that you're not there."

Kurt ducked his head, staring at his glass "I know."

Mayhew softened his tone "Maybe it would help, if you talked about them."

Kurt shook his head "I don't want to. On the surface, they shouldn't be nightmares, but they terrify me."

Mayhew sat a bit closer and coaxed "Come on, Kurt, it'll be fine. I…"

Mayhew trailed off as a knock came at the door and he walked out to answer it. After dealing with the late night visitor, Mayhew walked back in order to continue to coax the truth out of Kurt, but when he got back, Kurt had gone, the only evidence he was there was a half full glass of water left on the side.

The next morning, when Blaine woke up, Kurt was back in the bed, leaning on his side watching Blaine, a tender look on his face. Blaine reached up a hand and pulled his face down, giving Kurt a gentle kiss, before asking quietly "How long have you been awake?"

"Ten minutes."

"You still look tired."

Kurt smiled "I'm fine, Blaine. Ready to start a new day?"

Blaine stretched "Yeah."

They went down to breakfast as usual, and as they sat down, Thad looked up and said casually "Kurt, you do look tired. Didn't you sleep last night?"

Kurt sighed "You know, this is going to do nothing for my ego. You're the second person to say that to me, Thad."

"Well, you do." Jeff added.

"All right!" Kurt snapped "I get it, I look tired! But I'm not, I'm fine! How many more times do I have to say it?"

There was a stunned silence as Kurt got up from the table and flounced off. That was really the only word for the manner in which Kurt left. Blinking in shock, Blaine also got up and followed Kurt out, a confused frown on his face. Kurt hadn't got very far, only down the corridor and out of the door, where Blaine found him leaning against the wall with his hands over his face. Blaine walked over and gently pulled Kurt's hands away from his face, and before Kurt could school his expression, Blaine saw the look of absolute exhaustion.

Blaine gripped Kurt's hands, a thumb rubbing over the engagement ring as he said softly "You _are_ tired."

Kurt nodded.

"What's going on?"

Kurt replied resignedly "I haven't been sleeping. I've been having nightmares."

Blaine nodded encouragingly and softly prompted "For how long?"

"About a month, but they've only recently turned into something that I can remember. Before, I would just wake up with no memory of what woke me."

Blaine's hazel eyes were locked with Kurt's blue ones as he asked "So what are they about? Why do they scare you?"

Kurt's eyes became distant as he explained slowly "I dream of horses. Black horses, running as a herd through the forest. I can see them coming, hear their hoof beats, feel the vibrations of the ground in my heart. I know that they're coming towards me, and they'll kill me if I don't move, but I can't. I'm rooted to the spot. I always wake up just as they're upon me."

Blaine pulled Kurt forward into a tight hug and said firmly "Kurt, you should have _told_ me. I could have helped."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"And you think that your apparently inexplicable exhaustion wouldn't have worried me?"

Kurt shook his head, suddenly feeling very vulnerable "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. I know what you're like, Kurt, hiding any weakness that you don't want. You don't have to hide anything around me. Tell me if this happens again, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Blaine drew back and began to lead Kurt back into the building. "Now, you're going to finish your breakfast and I'll tell Oliver that he needs to find someone to cover for your class. You need to go back to bed and try and get some sleep."

Kurt was too tired to argue.

* * *

><p>He woke two hours later with a yell of terror, in a cold sweat. Without much conscious thought, Kurt got up and ran out of the room. He managed to get down the stairs before he came across Blaine, who was clearly on his way to check on Kurt. Kurt flung himself into Blaine's arms, head buried into the side of Blaine's neck as Kurt clung to him, shivering with a combination of fear and cold.<p>

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt as he murmured "The dream?"

Kurt nodded, and Blaine quickly drew him to one side, into a small room, where Thad looked up in surprise. He went to talk, but Blaine silenced him with a wave of his hand as he focussed on Kurt, sitting him down and encouraging him gently "Take deep breaths and calm down, sweetheart. You're all right, I'm here and you're safe. Just breath for me, okay?"

Kurt did as he was told, taking deep breaths as he clutched Blaine's hand, needing his warmth and strength. Blaine rubbed his back, murmuring sweet nothings to him until he was interrupted by Thad coughing awkwardly.

Blaine looked over and asked "What is it, Thad?"

"I'm sorry, but I did overhear what you were talking about and I was wondering if you'd take a suggestion?"

Blaine nodded warily "Yeah."

"Why don't you talk to Ronan? He might be able to help."

Blaine looked at Kurt, after all, it was his decision. Kurt swallowed and answered in a husky tone "Not now. I can't now, but later maybe."

Thad seemed to understand that and left the room with an apologetic smile, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone. Kurt glanced at Blaine and asked quietly "Will you stay with me for now? I feel safer when I wake up if you're there."

Blaine nodded immediately, an indulgent smile on his face as he replied "Of course I will, Kurt. You don't have to ask."

They both headed back to their room and this time, Kurt fell asleep with his head on Blaine's chest. Although he slept for a little longer, the nightmare still woke him up and after this happened twice more, Kurt gave up trying to sleep, despite Blaine's every attempt to persuade him otherwise.

In spite of this, it took Kurt two weeks to cave into seeing Ronan. It was only when Kurt noticed that Blaine had started not sleeping in order to comfort him. Kurt knew it couldn't go on like this. He wasn't going to destroy Blaine's health as well.

When Kurt knocked on the door of Ronan's room, and the big Irishman opened it, it was clear from the grin that Kurt was expected. Nevertheless, Ronan was very patient and waited for Kurt to explain what was going on. After Kurt had haltingly recited his reoccurring nightmares, Ronan sat back in his chair and sighed to himself.

There was silence for a few minutes, before Ronan leaned forward again and said firmly "You're not mad, Kurt."

Kurt let out a shaky breath. Secretly, he really had been afraid that he was losing his mind. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and he was so grateful that Ronan, in his usual no-nonsense manner, had dispelled those fears.

"So what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. You don't have to go into detail, but you came here to run from something, didn't you?"

Kurt nodded.

"You're having nightmares because of a traumatic experience. I hate to break it to you, Kurt, but that's actually completely normal."

Kurt laughed a little, but asked "They don't make any sense though. Why aren't I…, I don't know, reliving the experience or seeing the person? Why these pointless dreams?"

Ronan smiled "Well, symbolism in dreams isn't my speciality, but I could find out for you, if you think it would help."

Kurt nodded again "Please."

Ronan got up and walked over to a heavily stacked bookshelf. Reaching up to the top shelf, Ronan pushed a few books out of the way as he stretched to reach a book that was right at the back of the shelf. It was a little square book, about two inches thick.

Ronan opened it and flicked through, murmuring to himself until he said "Here. Black horses. To dream of dark horses signifies prosperous conditions but a large amount of discontent. Running horses signify that you will hear of the illness of friends."

Ronan looked back up at Kurt and asked "Mean anything to you?"

Kurt had gone pale and still. Ronan quickly moved and tapped Kurt's shoulder. Kurt jumped and looked at Ronan almost guiltily as he replied "Yes, but I can't tell you."

Ronan shrugged "That's fine. Any idea what Blaine wants to do for his birthday?"

Kurt frowned "What?"

"Blaine's birthday. It's the nineteenth of August, Kurt. Blaine's birthday is only three days away."

Kurt looked shocked "I didn't know."

Ronan laughed "You don't know when your fiancé's birthday is? Poor show, Kurt."

"He's never mentioned it. You would have thought that he'd say '_oh, by the way, I'm turning twenty on the 22__nd__ of August._'"

Ronan still hadn't stopped laughing at the look on Kurt's face "Anyway, ask him, will you? We'd usually take him out, but he'll want you there, and we can't take you out of Dalton."

Kurt got up "_Thanks_ for reminding me, Ronan. Yeah, I'll ask. Thanks for today."

Ronan waved his hand "It's really hard to keep up with you when you're being sarcastic. You're welcome."

Kurt left the room and Blaine had clearly been hanging around waiting for Kurt to emerge, because he appeared by Kurt's side almost immediately and asked "How did it go?"

Kurt considered that question before replying "He was very nice. Gave me some things to think about. He can't stop the nightmares, though. That's something I have to do."

Blaine took Kurt's hand as they walked along and sighed "You sound more positive. I'm so glad you talked to Ronan."

Kurt wasn't lying when he agreed "So am I."

As they stepped out into the open air, Kurt asked casually "What do you want for your birthday?"

Blaine choked and looked at Kurt in shock. Kurt just raised his eyebrow and waited for the explanation that Blaine was frantically trying to put together.

Finally, Blaine got out "How did you know?"

"Ronan asked me to ask you what you wanted to do for your birthday. He seemed rather surprised that this was the first I knew about _my fiancé's_ birthday. I'm still waiting on an explanation."

Blaine ran a hand through his curls (momentarily distracting Kurt, who was remembering how much he liked to do that) and said "I was hoping they'd forgotten."

"You expected your best friends to forget your birthday? Excuse me, have you met Wes and David? Even if the rest of the Warblers had forgotten, you know they would be reminded."

"Like I said, I was _hoping_. Not expecting. I don't like a fuss being made."

Kurt rolled his eyes "And what about me? What if I'd wanted to get you something?"

"I was going to tell you on the actual day, when it was too late for you to organise anything. Anyway, you don't need to get me anything. You said yes. That's all I'll ever need from you."

Kurt melted on the inside a little at that, though he was sure that it was Blaine's design in saying that, so he quipped back "I'll remind you of that next year, when you complain."

Blaine laughed and pulled Kurt against him so Kurt could feel the vibration of his laughter in his chest. They stood in each other's arms like that until Blaine got himself back under control and kissed Kurt tenderly, almost teasingly, so that Kurt followed his mouth as he moved away.

Blaine murmured "Will you tell Ronan that I don't want a fuss made? He'll pass it on to Wes and David."

Kurt nodded quickly and pulled Blaine back in for another kiss. It wasn't fair, really, how addicting Blaine's touch had become to Kurt. He didn't know how he'd ever been able to survive without it now that he knew what it was like to have that touch exclusively.

* * *

><p>Three days later and when Blaine woke up that morning, Kurt was already awake and he leant over to kiss Blaine thoroughly before murmuring "Happy birthday, darling."<p>

Blaine grinned, not least because of the term of endearment that fell so naturally from Kurt's lips.

"Thank you."

Kurt settled back down, curling into Blaine's side as he said "Now, I'm pretty sure I managed to call Wes and David off, so you don't need to worry about a fuss. As for me, you didn't give me enough time to get you anything, so expect it once this whole thing blows over."

Blaine laughed "I told you, I don't need a present from you. Having you here is enough."

"Well, don't expect the same sentiment on my birthday."

"When's that?"

Kurt smiled "Eighth of November."

"Three months away."

"That's right. Come on, you old man. Time for breakfast."

Blaine protested as he got out of bed "I'm not old. I'm twenty."

"You're a man in your twenties who's with a teenager. See, you sound predatory. You're old."

Blaine grabbed Kurt around the waist, preventing him from moving as he hissed into Kurt's ear "If you want predatory, you should know that I'm not too old to completely _dominate_ you."

Kurt pressed back, his voice lower than usual as he muttered "Oh? I'm not sure I believe you. Why don't you _show_ me?"

With a growl, Blaine quickly dragged Kurt back onto the bed and crawled on top of him, straddling the younger boy's hips as he bent over and kissed him hard. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and surrendered to the kiss. Blaine trailed the kisses down Kurt's neck, nibbling on the skin there as he stroked his hands down Kurt's chest, deliberately aiming for a spot he knew made Kurt squirm.

Kurt didn't disappoint, letting out a moan as he jerked his hips up, pressing his arousal against Blaine's, who immediately pulled away and looked down at the boy spread out under him. Kurt let out a whine and sat up, promptly attacking Blaine's mouth with his own and shifting his hips in order to get that delicious friction back.

They were so lost in each other that they failed to hear a knock at the door or the door open.

"Hey, Blaine… Oh my God!"

They boys flew apart and Kurt yelled, more in embarrassment that anything else "Christopher! Don't you knock?"

"I did!"

"Well, then when neither of us answered, you should have gone away!"

Blaine burst out laughing, which broke off the escalating argument as both Kurt and Christopher stared at Blaine, who was quickly running out of breath.

When he managed to stop, Blaine said "Kurt, why don't you go and get ready?"

Kurt nodded, kissed Blaine one more time, glared at Christopher and went into the bathroom. Blaine looked at Christopher and asked "What's up, Kit?"

Christopher scowled at the shortening of his name, but replied "Wes and David sent me to see what was taking you guys so long and also, Perry needs to talk to Kurt."

Blaine nodded "Okay. If you repeat what you saw to either Wes or David, they will never let us live it down, so I suggest you think up a convincing story. As for Perry, we'll be down soon."

Christopher nodded and almost ran out of the room. Blaine started to get ready and when Kurt emerged, he passed on the message as they went down to breakfast.

As they sat down at the table, everyone chorused "Happy birthday, Blaine."

Presents were produced and Blaine, while protesting the entire time, clearly loved the attention. The pairs that were practically inseparable, people like Wes and David and Nick and Jeff, gave Blaine joint presents and the others gave little individual presents. The table was a mess of paper and eating had almost been forgotten. Kurt was sitting by Blaine, and appeared to be enjoying the presents and attention that Blaine was getting just as much.

Once all the presents had been given out and Wes and David had announced that they had set up a party in Dalton for tonight (for which Blaine promptly tried to kill them), Kurt motioned to Perry and they moved to a quieter place in order to talk.

With no preamble, Perry stated "I wanted to ask if you'll take my place in the hack this afternoon."

Kurt raised an eyebrow "You love riding."

"If I go, I'll have to listen to Alessio going on about his Laura and I can't do that anymore."

Kurt sighed "You can't keep avoiding him, Perry. Alessio's not stupid, he'll notice and he _will_ call you out."

Perry shrugged "No, he won't. He's too caught up in Laura. All he talks about is her. It's breaking my heart, Kurt."

"Then tell him!"

Perry shook his head "I can't do that either."

Kurt frowned, but nodded "Okay, okay. I'll take your place, but so long as you understand that if Alessio asks, I am pointing him straight at you."

Perry nodded wearily "Fine."

Kurt walked away, leaving Perry behind, rubbing a hand across his forehead in an aggravated motion.

* * *

><p>Kurt went to his class, who greeted him rather enthusiastically. It kind of touched Kurt, especially when the twins, who had never once pulled any punches, promised rather sweetly that they'd stop their tricks for a while week until Kurt felt better. Sometimes Kurt forgot that they were only fourteen years old.<p>

Then in the afternoon, Kurt went to the stables and met Alessio, who looked a little confused and walked over to meet him, asking "Where is Perry?"

Kurt frowned "Didn't he tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Perry switched places with me. I'm riding with you and the students today."

Alessio looked surprised "Is he ill? Why didn't he tell me himself?"

Kurt shrugged, feeling horribly guilty for putting such a look of hurt confusion on Alessio's face as he replied "He's not ill as far as I know. He just asked me at breakfast to switch places."

Alessio nodded, still looking a little upset and said "Okay. Ride Shadow again and we'll go."

Kurt turned away and walked to get Shadow. He hadn't taken even five steps when Alessio called out "Kurt!"

Kurt looked back over his shoulder. Alessio was looking at the ground as he asked reluctantly "Is he avoiding me?"

Kurt's heart broke for Alessio as he answered "I don't know, Alessio. You'll have to ask him."

"I will."

The ride would have been pleasant, but it was clear that Alessio's head was somewhere else, as was proven when he answered any question that was asked in murmured Italian. When they came back into the stables, Perry was standing there, his dark green eyes fixed on the entrance, clearly waiting for the group to return.

When Alessio caught sight of him, he leapt off his horse and ran at Perry, throwing a powerful punch. Perry didn't move, but at the last minute, Alessio pulled his punch, so that his fist only grazed along Perry's jaw rather than hitting him full on.

Alessio yelled furiously "Cosa credi di fare evitandomi in questo modo? Non sei nemmeno venuto acavalcare con me!*"

Kurt was chivvying the students away, keeping one eye on the two men as Alessio yelled. He wondered if Perry was going to answer, or if he had even understood what Alessio had said.

Apparently he had, because Perry replied "I'm sorry Alessio. I should have told you."

"Dannazione certo che avresti dovuto**!" Alessio then seemed to realise he was yelling in Italian and with a visible effort, turned his tongue to English. "Why were you avoiding me?"

"I wasn't."

"Eravate, Perry! You were! Do you think I'm stupid? You're my best friend, of course I know when you're avoiding me."

Perry just sighed and repeated "I'm sorry," before turning and walking off.

Alessio clenched his fists and swung around, stalking back over to his horse while muttering furiously in his native tongue. Kurt groaned quietly to himself. He had really thought that Perry was going to tell Alessio the truth. For a minute, it looked like Perry had considered it, before bottling. Well, there was nothing Kurt could do now, so he just made his way back to his room to wash and change in time for the party tonight.

He walked through the door and immediately pulled off his top, dumping it on the floor as he walked through to the bathroom and called a servant to start the bath running. When he walked back out to pull off his boots, he started. Blaine was lying on the bed, eyes closed. Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed and Blaine opened his eyes at the movement, the hazel colour softening at the sight of his fiancé.

Kurt smiled "Hey there. What are you doing here?"

"Trying to get some peace and quiet before this hideous party starts. What about you?"

"Just finished going riding with Alessio. Perry's in trouble."

Blaine sat up, wrapping his warm arms around Kurt's waist as he replied "Alessio's worked it out then?"

"Not the emotion, but he knows that something's changed. I'm just going to have a bath, and then I'll get changed into something else more appropriate for a party. You'd better do the same, seeing as it's your birthday party."

Blaine groaned, but let Kurt go into the bathroom, then got up and moved to the closet in order to sort through the clothes he had brought with him and were already there, before settling on what he had worn for Finn and Rachel's engagement party, remembering the look on Kurt's face all those months ago.

When Kurt came out again, all clean and fresh and smelling of soap, the look on his face as he took in Blaine's outfit made the whole stupid event worth it, in Blaine's opinion. Kurt looked like he wanted to rip the outfit off with his bare hands and then have his wicked way with Blaine.

With a cough and a shake of his head, Kurt managed to tear his eyes away and moved over to the closet as well, flinging all his clothes onto the bed and sifting through them, trying to put together a outfit from a limited selection. After a half a hour, Kurt had managed to pick out an outfit and they went down hand in hand together.

Oliver met them at the bottom with a grin and led them to the Warblers meeting room, which had been decorated nicely, with a buffet and alcohol. Most of the Warblers already had a glass and as Blaine walked through the door, they raised their glasses in a toast.

Music started playing and the celebration began. Despite Blaine's initial reluctance, he ended up enjoying himself more than he expected, with Wes and David not leaving him alone. Kurt was spending most of his time with Oliver, Nick and Jeff. Blaine was making his way over to Kurt when Ronan laid his hand on Kurt's shoulder and asked "How are the nightmares?"

"Still there, but I've worked out what it is that's wrong."

"That's great. Anything I can do?"

"No. I haven't even told Blaine."

"Are you going to?"

"I wasn't planning on it…"

Blaine reached Kurt at that point and folded his arms as he asked "What aren't you planning on telling me?"

Ronan, Oliver, Nick and Jeff disappeared tactfully as Kurt went pale. Blaine asked again, clearly angry "Well? What aren't you telling me?"

Kurt twisted his hands together "Ronan told me what my nightmares are supposed to mean. '_Signifies prosperous conditions but a large amount of discontent._'"

"So?"

Kurt bit his lip and said "I want to go home, Blaine. I want to go back to Lima."

Blaine shook his head immediately "You can't. It's not safe."

"I'm not happy here, Blaine! It's beautiful, and everyone's lovely, but this is a cage! I'm not free, and wasn't that the reason I ran in the first place!"

"If you're really not happy here, we'll go somewhere else. I can think of another place."

Kurt rolled his eyes and said "You don't get it. Any place we go to will end up as a cage, because there will always be restrictions on what I can and cannot do!"

Blaine finally yelled back "Of course I don't get it! You're asking me to understand you going back to a place where your life is at risk!"

"It's still my home! I'm stronger now and I can deal with Karofsky. I can't keep running anymore!"

Kurt turned and ran off. Blaine went to run after him, but Wes caught his arm and said "Let him go, Blaine. The two of you need to calm down before you say something you'll really regret."

Blaine struggled briefly, but eventually went slack and Wes hesitantly let him go, before taking his arm and guiding him over to where David and Thad were standing. Blaine took a glass of wine and downed it, then immediately reached for another. Drowning his sorrows seemed like a good idea.

Kurt ran out into the courtyard, breathing heavily, more through adrenaline and anger than physical exertion. He paused briefly, eyeing up the gates, before throwing caution to the wind and walked out of the gates and into Westerville. It was about 9pm, so all the pubs were still open and quite full. There were less people on the streets, but still enough to notice Kurt.

But nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened and once Kurt had cooled down a bit, he headed back, and got back to Dalton by 11pm, slipping back in unnoticed and making his way to his and Blaine's room. On pushing the door open, Kurt caught sight of Blaine, still fully dressed, sprawled across the bed and fast asleep.

Kurt smiled despite himself and went over, pulling off Blaine's shoes and top and easing him under the covers. When Kurt turned away to undress, Blaine blinked open hazy eyes and murmured "Kurt?"

Kurt finished undressing "Yeah, I'm here."

"I'm sorry. I over-reacted."

Blaine's voice was sleepy and slurred, he was quite clearly still a little drunk, but it didn't make him any less sincere.

Kurt smiled "I'm sorry as well. We both over-reacted a little. You're forgiven."

"You too. No more secrets?"

Kurt slipped into bed and wrapped his arms around Blaine's body "No more secrets. I promise."

"Good. I promise too."

* * *

><p><span>Translations<span>: Were done via Babelfish, so are unlikely to be accurate. I apologise now :D

*What do you think you're doing, avoiding me like this! You couldn't even come riding with me!

**Damn right you should have!


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I'll beg for forgiveness now, because I _know_ this was supposed to be up on Saturday, and it's two days late, and this chapter is probably going to make you want to kill me even more, but to pacify you, may I just say this:**

**Hopefully by midnight tonight, this story will be completed.**

**This is going up now, I'm going to finish Chapter 12 and then upload that, and then type the epilogue and upload that. Is this a deal? Does it mean you won't kill me?**

**Anything you recognise, I don't own :(**

* * *

><p>11.<p>

The next couple of days were back to normal, Kurt and Blaine were back to normal, Kurt and Blaine were back to their normal, blissful selves, and the argument, or at least the emotion behind it had been resolved. However, the words remained, because it had been a serious topic. The two of them had decided that they would revisit the topic after they had calmed down.

That option was taken away.

Early one morning, after he had been relieved from night watchman duty, Mayhew raced into the building and headed straight for Wes and David's room. Unusually, the two of them shared, so it was easy for anyone to get a hold of two-thirds of the council.

Mayhew went straight for David and shook him awake, saying urgently "We have a problem."

David groaned, rolling over and swatting at Mayhew. Mayhew dodged and carried on "Seriously, David, get the council together. Someone's spotted Kurt!"

David was wide awake in one second, up out of bed in the next and dragging Wes out of bed and towards Thad's room in the third, Mayhew following. Once all three boys were awake, they held an impromptu meeting (in Thad's room), and made Mayhew tell them everything.

"A friend of mine," began Mayhew. "He came along early this morning, about 4am and asked me if I knew Kurt was here. I laughed it off and then he said that loads of people had seen Kurt walking through Westerville and then come back here. I told him he'd had too much to drink and then he said that knights were coming from Lima to check on it."

David groaned, Wes buried his head in his hands and Thad went even paler than he usually was.

Wes was the first to speak "We have to tell them to start with."

David agreed "Yeah. For all we know, they may well have a plan in case this kind of thing happened."

"But," Thad added. "They might not have the _same_ plan. You both saw the argument a few nights ago. We need to be on the look out for that."

Mayhew had been listening carefully and quietly said "Shall I fetch them?"

"No." Wes and David chorused, before David continued. "We'll get them after breakfast. Blaine's never pleasant until he's awake properly, and he's never awake properly until after he's eaten."

Mayhew nodded and left, heading for his room to sleep. The three boys looked at each other until Thad summed it up effectively.

"We are so screwed."

After breakfast, Thad pulled Kurt and Blaine to one side and led them to the council room, where Wes and David were already waiting.

Kurt and Blaine sat down, hands comfortably intertwined as Kurt asked "So what's wrong?"

David (being the one who drew the short straw) replied frankly "You've been found. There's knights from Lima coming to check here."

Blaine's expression darkened "Who told? Someone must have reported it."

"Blaine…" Wes began, but was interrupted by Kurt "No. No-one told. Someone saw me when I went into Westerville, didn't they?"

Wes nodded, relieved that Kurt seemed to be taking it calmly "We suspect so. Mayhew came to us early this morning, and…"

This time, Blaine interrupted by asking Kurt "When did you go into Westerville?"

Kurt was looking down at his hands as he replied "The night we fought. I was angry and upset and not thinking straight. I just stormed off and walked until I didn't feel as bad."

"Now is not the time, Blaine." David said firmly "You can have the argument later. What we three need to know is if you had a plan for this."

"I… I _did_." Blaine stuttered. "But Kurt doesn't approve of it. It would just mean us moving to another place."

"And why don't you like this?" David asked Kurt directly.

"Because I don't want to run anymore. I want to go home, back to Lima."

From the tone of his voice, all three men could tell that this was an argument that was far from resolved. The tension in the room had gone through the roof at that one simple statement. Frankly though, all of them could see why Blaine would be opposed to that plan. It was beyond dangerous.

There was silence for a few minutes before Kurt sighed "Let me guess, you all think it's a terrible idea as well."

"Well, yeah." Thad replied bluntly "Unless your reason for leaving Lima has gone."

"It hasn't." Blaine put in, with the sigh of a man that has had the same discussion again and again and still can't win.

Kurt groaned in exasperation "That's why I'm having nightmares. I'm scared of what's happened while I've been gone. I need to go back."

"Okay." Wes said in a placating tone "I can see that we were right, and there isn't a plan, so what we're proposing is that we will repel boarders."

Kurt frowned "What?"

"We'll go onto lockdown. Nobody's allowed in and if they try and force their way in, they'll lose."

Blaine nodded "Thank you, council. We accept that solution until Kurt or I can think of and agree on a better alternative."

The meeting ended there, with all five young men going off to do whatever they were supposed to be doing, but with a dark cloud hanging over their heads, waiting to see what would happen.

Something happened two days later.

* * *

><p>Mayhew had just come on duty when there was a knock on the gates, and when Mayhew opened the eyehole, two McKinley knights looked back. Mayhew really had no choice but to let them in and he took them to the council room, praying that they wouldn't run into Kurt or Blaine on the way there.<p>

They were lucky and the two knights went into the council rooms. All three members looked up as Mayhew announced "Sir Azimo and Sir Ridley, from Lima, council members."

Wes nodded "Thank you, Mayhew. You may go back to your duties."

Mayhew went.

Azimo spoke first, his voice aggressive "We're here on behalf of Lord Karofsky, who has a vested interest in seeing the safe return of Prince Kurt."

Wes raised an eyebrow "I see. You think he's here."

"He was seen coming back here."

Wes sighed "What do you want?"

"Our lord _requests_ that you allow him and a full contingent of knights - that's twenty - to search the place."

David piped up quickly "And if we refuse?"

Ridley answered just as swiftly "Why would you do that? After all, you don't have anything to hide, do you?"

David glared, but didn't respond. Wes took control again "You will have our answer tomorrow morning. Goodbye."

Azimo looked annoyed but didn't protest, lumbering out with Ridley by his side. Once they were out of Dalton, David bolted out of the room to find the rest of the Warblers and Thad ran to find Blaine and Kurt. Wes was poring over plans of Dalton's buildings and grounds, trying to come up with battle plans. Thad found Kurt and Blaine in their room, and after knocking, he walked in with his eyes closed just in case.

With a huff, Kurt said "Thad, open your eyes, don't be silly."

Thad opened his eyes and sighed with relief that both Kurt and Blaine were at least decent.

Blaine wrapped an arm casually around Kurt's waist and asked "What's up, Thad?"

"Two McKinley knights were just here. They said that Karofsky's here and he's demanding to search Dalton with his knights."

Kurt went deadly pale, almost ghostly and Thad saw his knees give out and Blaine tighten his arm in order to keep Kurt upright as he placed him on the unmade bed.

Blaine then rounded on Thad and said urgently "What's happening?"

"David's gone to tell the others, who'll pass it on down to the students that come tomorrow morning, we're on lockdown. Wes is drawing up defence plans as we speak."

"Who's fighting?"

"Everyone. Right down to the newest students. From what I've heard, Karofsky's determined. He'll throw everything he's got at this place."

Kurt shuddered and Blaine was immediately back by his side and reassuring him "He'll lose, Kurt, I promise you. No-one's ever taken Dalton before. You know the knights here are more than a match for McKinley knights."

Kurt nodded, but the worry was still awfully obvious. Thad twisted his hands together as he said "I'm sorry to tell you such horrible news."

"That's okay," whispered Kurt. "I'm glad you told us straight away."

"Goodnight."

The minute Thad was out of the door, the composure Kurt had managed to claw together slipped completely and he collapsed into Blaine's arms, shaking like a leaf. He wasn't crying, he was too scared to cry, but terror had seized his body. Blaine clung to him, simultaneously trying to comfort Kurt and reassure himself.

Kurt muttered "We can't stay here, we can't, we _can't_."

Blaine nodded his agreement "I know. Karofsky will never leave while he believes you're here."

"And I can't let those children fight for me. I won't be responsible for them being hurt. We have to leave, Blaine."

"We will, but where to?"

Kurt said firmly "Lima. He's here now, Blaine. Lima's safe again."

A look crossed Blaine's face, and for a second, it looked like he might protest, but he gave in with a sigh and agreed "Okay. We go back to Lima. Tomorrow?"

Kurt nodded "As soon as it's light. Come on, we'll pack now."

They both got up and pulled out their bags, throwing their stuff in haphazardly as Blaine asked "Which horse shall we take?"

"Shadow. We need speed on our side more than blending in."

"And where specifically in Lima are we going? Back to Santana and Brittany?"

"No, we're going to Mercedes' house. She'll hide us for a night and I owe her an explanation anyway. She's going to kill me as it is."

Blaine paused "You really have thought about this."

Kurt pressed a quick kiss to Blaine's lips "Of course I have. Now, you go and tell Wes and David what's going on. They might need to adjust their plans."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt and Blaine were up before the sun had rose, dressed in their darkest clothing as they crept through the building and went out into the stables. Wes and David were already there, as was a tacked-up Shadow. They tied their bags on, then Kurt mounted and Blaine climbed on behind him, the position reminiscent of eight months ago, when Kurt had first realised he was in love with Blaine.<p>

Wes looked up at the pair of them and said "Okay, we'll delay them here as long as possible. I promise, Kurt, none of the students will be involved if it can be helped."

"Thank you, Wes." Kurt said gratefully. "Also, will you pass on my thanks to all of the Warblers? They've been so kind to me, keeping the secret when any one of them could have reported me and claimed the reward."

David waved away the thanks casually "We'll pass it on, just invite us to the wedding. Blaine, I'd better be your best man."

"No way, I'll be his best man!"

Blaine laughed "Guys, you can both be my best man. It's not like this wedding will follow any conventions."

"We'd better go." Kurt interrupted, mainly because hearing Blaine talk about their wedding so casually was making him melt a little on the inside, and that wasn't a good state to be in when riding a horse.

With a gentle nudge to the horse's side, Kurt and Blaine moved off, Shadow quickly working up to a gallop as they ran through the early morning. They paused briefly on the top of the hill to watch the sunrise and Kurt leaned back to kiss Blaine's cheek and murmur "It's going to be alright, you know."

Blaine smiled ruefully "I thought I was supposed to be reassuring you?"

Kurt smiled back "It's about time the roles reversed. I've missed feeling strong."

"You've always been the strong one. You just haven't always seen it."

With that quiet statement, Blaine urged Shadow back into a gallop. They kept going at that pace, pausing only once at midday in order to eat and allow Shadow to rest and drink, before continuing. Shadow was tiring, it was obvious when they didn't make as good time as before, but they reached the outskirts of Lima by 10pm and reached Mercedes' home half a hour later.

Kurt dismounted quietly and swiftly climbed a tree to tap on Mercedes' bedroom window. He did it with such economic grace that Blaine couldn't help wondering if he had done it before. Mercedes came over, rubbing her eyes tiredly, but her face upon seeing Kurt was a sight to see. Blaine hadn't known a person's face could move in so many different ways. Kurt held up and finger to stop her screaming before she opened the window and hissed "You're supposed to be kidnapped!"

"I was never kidnapped. Can we come up? It's rather a long story."

"Who's we?"

"Blaine and I."

Mercedes grinned suddenly and said "All right then, but the story better be good."

Kurt scrambled back down the tree and beckoned Blaine, then both young men climbed up and through the window. Mercedes was sitting on her bed, waiting eagerly, her eyes fixed on the two of them as they sat down.

Kurt began "'Cedes, I wasn't kidnapped. Blaine and I ran away together, to Dalton."

"Why?"

"Because Dave Karofsky threatened to kill Blaine, you and others if I didn't marry him and let him knock me around."

Mercedes' face went thunderous and she immediately said "You should have told me, Kurt!"

"I couldn't. Blaine only found out by accident and I was so scared that running away seemed like the only option. I don't regret meeting the people I did, but I had to come back."

"Karofsky's at Dalton now, isn't he? I heard rumours about you being there… So what are you going to do now? The threat still stands."

Kurt smiled "I have a plan. I'm not scared anymore. Is it okay if Blaine and I sleep here tonight? I'll go to the palace tomorrow."

Mercedes nodded "That's fine."

Kurt grinned gratefully and climbed back out of the window to get their bags and tie Shadow up properly. The minute Kurt was out of earshot, Mercedes turned to Blaine and raised her eyebrows threateningly.

Blaine raised his hands in surrender "I wouldn't hurt him, Mercedes. I couldn't. I'd sooner tear my own heart out than hurt Kurt."

"Pretty speech, knight, but you'd better stick to it."

Blaine nodded "I asked him to marry me, does that count?"

Mercedes' eyes went wide and when Kurt got back through the window safely, Mercedes threw herself on him, exclaiming loudly "Congratulations!"

Kurt hugged Mercedes tightly, glaring a little at Blaine over her shoulder as he asked "Blaine told you? I wanted to do that."

Mercedes pulled back and replied "Oh, who cares? Show me the ring."

Kurt sighed as if he was very put out, but the blinding smile on his face gave the game away as he held out his left hand for Mercedes to grab and squeal over.

Blaine set up their sleeping place as Kurt and Mercedes caught up. It was nice to watch Kurt so comfortable again. It was only now that Blaine could see how uncomfortable Kurt had actually been at Dalton. It was quite a wake-up call. Blaine laid down and Kurt cuddled into his side contentedly. Mercedes smiled at them from her bed and it was the feeling of home that pulled Kurt into sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt woke first and carefully detangled himself from Blaine, quickly changing and writing a note, explaining where he was going and what he was doing. He also added that it had something to do with his plan, but nobody but he could know what it was. Taking Shadow, Kurt rode to the palace and was, of course, immediately recognised and rushed to the throne room where Burt and Carole were.<p>

Kurt was swept up into a bear hug by Burt and he hugged back, glad to be home. Then the questions started as Burt demanded "Where have you been? We thought something terrible had happened to you?"

"In a manner of speaking, something did, just not what you think. Dad, I'll tell you everything, I promise, but first I need Blaine Anderson here."

"Son, Sir Blaine went back to Westerville. It'll take a few days to get him back."

"No, it won't. He'll be here soon, trust me."

Kurt, naturally, was right, not least because he had told Blaine in his note to come to the palace the minute he was awake. Blaine walked through the doors and Kurt immediately held out his hand, summoning Blaine to his side. Blaine moved and gladly took the offered hand.

Kurt looked at his father, whose gaze was fixed on their joined hands, and said "While I was gone, Blaine asked me to marry him and I said yes. Will you announce that I have chosen my partner?"

Burt's eyes flickered briefly before nodding "If you're sure, son. Now, I think Carole and I deserve an explanation. You've been missing for two months!"

Kurt explained, calmly and clearly, with Blaine chiming in every now and again when he needed to tell his part of the story. There were no interruptions, mainly because Burt's face got more and more red as his son continued to talk.

Kurt finished, then took one look at his father and said firmly "Breath, Dad, it's good for you."

Burt glared, but did as he was told and enquired "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kurt looked away, a guilty look on his face "Because, at first, there was no evidence, so even if you believed me, it was my word against his. Even after he hit me, I still couldn't prove it was him. There were no witnesses to any of it. By that point, I was so scared I wasn't thinking straight. Running away seemed to be the only option."

Burt came forward and hugged Kurt hard, saying firmly "I love you, Kurt. I will always believe you. Never doubt it."

"I won't."

There was silence for a few minutes, before Carole, who had been watching silently, asked "It's wonderful to have you back, honey, but what _are_ we going to do about Karofsky?"

Kurt smiled "Don't worry about it. I have a plan."

"Kurt…" Burt said warningly "This had better be a sensible plan, otherwise I'll just ban him from your company."

"If you do that, he'll hurt people, Dad! They can't be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, and you can't imprison him without either witnesses or evidence. My plan will get you both."

Burt gave in, knowing his son would do it with or without his permission "Fine. So long as you're safe. Now then, I think you'd like to go to your room to get washed and dressed properly, yeah?"

Kurt nodded, a huge smile on his face "Yeah. Come on Blaine."

"Wait. Carole will go with you. I need to have a word with Sir Blaine."

Kurt considered protesting, but allowed himself to be led from the room. Blaine turned to face Burt, who had sat back down on his throne. Blaine swallowed nervously and began "Your Highness, I…"

Burt held up and hand to silence Blaine "Be quiet, kid. I need to talk now. Firstly, know that I'm very grateful to you for being there for my boy and looking after him when nobody else could. You protected him real good. Secondly, Kurt loves you. Really loves you, so if you ever break that trust, I will have you torn limb from limb. Finally, I know you didn't have a chance to ask, so I'm giving you my blessing to marry Kurt."

Blaine's mouth was hanging open, so he shut it with a snap before stuttering out "Yes, Your Highness. I mean, no, Your Highness. I mean… thank you, Your Highness."

Burt waved his hand casually "Get along with you, young knight. I assume you'll be moving back into the barracks?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Just as well, really, Puckerman's been running wild without you."

Blaine laughed and went away again, to meet up with Puck, who nearly strangled him in his joy to have his friend back. Finn was there, and Blaine told him Kurt was back, sending the gangly prince running.

Blaine set his room back to rights (the furniture was all upturned. Blaine decided it was probably better not to ask) and unpacked before walking out to look for Kurt. He found him hanging around the training field, watching his step-brother and Mike Chang spar. He turned when he heard Blaine and held out a hand for Blaine to take. Blaine ignored it, choosing instead to wrap an arm around Kurt's waist and draw him into his side.

Kurt leaned his head against Blaine's as he said "Finn insisted I come and see how he had improved in swordplay. I bet you could still beat him."

Blaine watched for a few seconds before replying "I could. Have you seen the girls?"

"Yes, I have. Rachel blushes every time I so much as hint at her married life with Finn, but she's very happy. Tina married Mike last month and she's positively glowing. Quinny and Sam are closer than ever. I think he'd ask her to marry him if he had a reliable job."

Blaine smiled "You've caught up on all the gossip then."

Kurt nodded, pressing a languid kiss to Blaine's temple as he asked "Have you caught up with the boys?"

"Yes. From all accounts, Puck has run absolutely wild without me. He's lucky to have survived without punishment. He says to say that Sam, Brittany and Santana are all well and making a tidy profit as well."

Kurt laughed "That's good. I thought they'd do well."

Both young men turned back to watching Finn and Mike, content in each other's company. Once Finn was finished, he came over and grinned "See, I have got better."

"Of course you have, Finn."

* * *

><p>The next two days were peaceful, but also oddly tense. It felt like the calm before the storm, the deep breath before the plunge and even Kurt, who was certain that his plan was going to work, was nervous. Karofsky came back on the morning of the third day, and went straight to the throne room to report to Burt.<p>

He bowed and said "Your Highness, after a day of fighting, the Dalton knights gave in. When we searched the buildings and grounds, there was no sign of either Prince Kurt or Sir Blaine Anderson, though there was both a recently vacated room and stable, so I concluded that at least one of them had been there. I attempted to interrogate the Dalton knights and students, but every one was adamant that Prince Kurt had never been there."

There was a gentle clapping as Kurt stepped out of the shadows and said "Well done, Karofsky. Blaine and I were there. We're here now."

It was rather satisfying to watch Karofsky splutter and gasp like a fish out of water. When he finally recovered, he said "Prince Kurt! You escaped the kidnappers!"

"I wasn't kidnapped. I had to go away. Anyway, you're back just in time for the party."

"What party?"

Kurt grinned widely, and briefly flashed his left hand at Karofsky before answering "My engagement party. Blaine proposed to me about a month ago now."

Karofsky growled lowly "And you accepted?"

Kurt laughed "Of course, didn't you see the ring? Anyway, I'll see you later."

Kurt left, and quickly met Blaine, who was running in, looking frantic. When he saw Kurt, he ran over to him and grasped his hands, saying urgently "Karofsky's back. You can't…"

"Blaine, it's fine. I've seen him, I was there when he made his report to my dad. He didn't try anything. He's coming to the party."

Blaine went pale "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Kurt gently pulled his hands out of Blaine's hold and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, pressing their foreheads together, a silent reassurance as their breathing matched each others. They stood like that for a few minutes, oblivious to the world around them, oblivious to Karofsky, who was watching them from around a corner, jealousy all over his features.

Eventually, Kurt moved away and took Blaine's hand, saying cheerfully "Come on, let's go to the ballroom. I need to check on the decorations because they _have_ to be perfect."

Blaine laughed and allowed himself to be pulled along as he said "If you're this way over the engagement party, what will you be like on our wedding?"

Kurt just smiled and carried on.

Later on that evening, the party started. Kurt entered the ballroom looking radiant, dressed in full regalia, with Blaine on his arm as they descended the staircase, being announced as "His Royal Highness Prince Kurt Hummel and Sir Blaine Anderson of Westerville."

They moved through the crowd, nodding and smiling at all the guests until they reached the raised dais where the rest of his family were sat. When they reached the dais and stepped up into it, Burt came forward.

In a loud voice, he called "I hereby formally announce that my son, the Crown Prince of Ohio, has chosen his spouse, Sir Blaine Anderson of Westerville, Ohio. They will marry in two months time, on the 25th of November."

There was a round of applause, then Burt called "Let the celebration begin!"

Blaine held out his hand to Kurt and led him out onto the dance floor, the two of them falling into a gentle waltz. Time seemed to slow around them and they barely noticed when the music stopped. Kurt danced with Tina and Mercedes, teasing Mercedes gently about Anthony and Tina about Mike, though Tina was so completely caught up in Mike that Kurt wasn't sure how much she heard.

Kurt also danced with Rachel, who talked a mile a minute about how happy she was for both him and Blaine, before leaving him to go and annoy Blaine in the exact same manner.

In that minute, Kurt was alone.

"Hummel."

Kurt turned, knowing the voice instantly "Karofsky. How nice to see you."

Karofsky sneered "I'm sure you're enjoying it, parading him in front of me. Have you forgotten what I told you?"

"I haven't. I'm just not afraid of you any more. You can't hurt me and you can't hurt my friends. You're just a jealous, chubby guy who'll be bald before he's thirty and alone forever."

Karofsky snapped and grabbed Kurt's arm, pulling him through the crowd and out of the ballroom, before shoving him hard onto the ground.

Kurt fell hard, but carried on talking "Physical violence won't get you anywhere, Karofsky. I chose Blaine then and I still choose him now. I love him."

Karofsky dragged him up from the floor by his collar and slammed him against the wall, before pulling his arm back and punching Kurt in the face.

Kurt's head snapped back, but he still gritted out "You're nothing but a cowardly bully. You're nothing compared to Blaine."

"Shut up!" Karofsky roared, punching Kurt again and again, hard enough to knock Kurt back on the floor, before he started lacking him. Kurt screamed but Karofsky just hissed "Save your breath, no-one will hear you."

It must have been some kind of karma that at the point, the doors burst open and half the guests spilled out, led by Blaine, Burt and Finn, who went for Karofsky immediately, dragging him away from Kurt. Blaine went to Kurt's side and pulled him into his arms, carefully probing his body to check for breaks.

Burt, his voice showing how tightly he was controlling his temper, said "Dave Karofsky, you are charged with the assault of a royal, and there are more than enough witnesses to prove you guilty. Take him away."

"No."

Blaine stood up, leaving Kurt with Mercedes as he walked forward with his hand on his sword and said "Before you take him, I claim my right as official consort to challenge Dave Karofsky to a duel of honour in Kurt's name. Do you accept?"

Karofsky grinned wolfishly "I will."


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so I lied, but I'm only 24 hours late. Don't worry, the epilogue will be tonight as well. I faithfully promise.**

**Anyway, I now have to admit to something I'm not very proud of... I wrote Klaine smut *cringes* You have no idea how hard it was, but I tried. Please remember while reading it that 1. I am a virginal teenage girl and 2. Much as my friends and I talk, I'm totally not going to ask them for details on their sex life. That's just wrong. **

**The upshot of this is that it may not be all that accurate, but hopefully it is still fairly hot, and a nice way to end. **

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

><p>12.<p>

The fight didn't happen immediately. Karofsky was taken to a holding cell while Kurt was escorted to the infirmary in order to assess what damage had been done. Blaine sat by Kurt's side as the person on duty gently established he had bruised ribs, a sprained wrist and a swollen jaw. She carefully applied some ice to the jaw while tightly bandaging Kurt's ribs and right wrist, before putting his right arm in a sling.

As they began to walk back to Kurt's room, Kurt asked "You aren't really going to fight him, are you?"

"Yes, I am! He needs to understand, once and for all, that you are mine as much as I am yours. A good beating is the only way to do that."

Kurt sighed "I don't want you to get hurt."

Blaine laughed "I'm not going to. He might be strong, but I'm fast and I was taught by some of the best in Ohio. I'll be fine. More to the point, what were you doing on your own with him? You know how unstable he is."

Kurt ducked his head, resigned to the conversation "It was the only way. He had to be so worked up, he forgot to think about potential witnesses."

"So you let him beat you up?"

"Just like you're going to do!"

"I told you, he won't touch me!"

"And I told you, you're underestimating him!"

They were standing in front of Kurt's door, facing each other, staring at each other. Eventually, Blaine looked away and said "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No, Blaine, wait…"

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Kurt."

Kurt watched Blaine walk away and felt like kicking himself. Even Quinn's gentle manner didn't make him feel any better. He just wanted Blaine with him.

The next day, Blaine was prepping for his duel with Puck. It was scheduled for midday, and Blaine, while not over confident, was quietly sure that he would beat Karofsky comfortably.

Before Blaine went out onto the field, Kurt came over and kissed him firmly, saying "I'm sorry."

Blaine kissed him back and replied "I'm sorry as well. It was a silly fight."

"I know. I was worried about you."

"And I you. Be careful."

Kurt laughed softly, though the worry didn't leave his eyes as he said "Shouldn't I be telling you that?"

"Probably. Cheer for me?"

"Blaine, don't be silly. It's a formal duel. Nobody will be cheering. Just watch your back. I'd quite like to marry you with all your limbs intact."

Blaine opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted as he was summoned to the field, so he went with a kiss to Kurt's forehead. He climbed over the fence and put his helmet on, before taking his sword and shield from his second, a worried looking Mike, and facing Karofsky, who was similarly geared up.

The referee stepped forward and commanded "Salute."

Both men twisted their swords up to hover near their temples.

"Stance."

Both men took up fighting stances. Muscles trembling in anticipation and the strain of holding back.

"Engage."

The referee stepped back and Blaine and Karofsky began to circle each other, eyes intent on every move their opponent made. Karofsky swung first, a heavy overhead swing, aiming for Blaine's right shoulder. Blaine got his shield up to block the blow and swung his own sword at Karofsky's unprotected side, but Karofsky dodged back, so Blaine's sword only caught the side of Karofsky's leg, barely breaking the skin.

They drew apart, eyes now a little more wary, Blaine reeling at Karofsky's sheer brute strength, and Karofsky realised that he was up against a highly skilled opponent, and the stories of Dalton knights hadn't been exaggerated at all.

In a move that sent gasps rippling through the crowd, Blaine threw away his shield and grasped his sword in a two-hand grip. He would need the extra strength if he was going to win. It also meant that it became purely swordplay - something Blaine knew he excelled at.

Taking Blaine throwing his shield away as a challenge, Karofsky did the same, eyes narrowed. Blaine tested him, swinging at his head. Karofsky clumsily blocked it, so Blaine tried again, this time a straight jab at Karofsky's body. His sword was blocked again, only a little more efficiently.

With a nod, Blaine pulled his sword back, took a deep breath and attacked, a combination of sharp jabs, mostly used as distractions, before going for a completely different area of the body. Karofsky soon worked it out, so after his sharp jabs were ignored a few times, Blaine aimed for Karofsky's right arm and followed through. His sword sliced deeply into Karofsky's forearm and in his shock, Karofsky barely managed to duck the swing at his head. The loss of blood was making Karofsky dizzy and when he straightened up, the world spun. Stepping backwards, Karofsky tripped and fell, landing on his back with a heavy thump, his sword slipping out of his hand, the grip now slick with blood.

Blaine stepped forward, breathing heavily, and placed one foot on Karofsky's wrist to stop him scrabbling for his sword, then the other foot on his chest to stop him rising. His sword was positioned at Karofsky's throat.

With a steel in his eyes, Blaine demanded "Yield."

Karofsky glared and remained silent.

Blaine nicked Karofsky's throat and repeated angrily "Yield!"

"I yield."

Blaine grinned with relief and stepped away, turning to wave at Kurt, who was clapping, relief evident on his face. It was over. It was done.

"Blaine! Look out!"

Karofsky had got up, grabbed his sword and was running at Blaine, sword raised. Blaine turned and instinctively lashed out with his sword. It caught Karofsky across the chest and he fell, blood soaking through his top where Blaine had got through the armour. He fell back to stunned silence.

Blaine moved first, applying pressure to the wound in an attempt to stop him bleeding out until two medics from the infirmary came and carried him away. It was like being stuck in limbo as everyone waited anxiously to hear news. Finally, Dave's father, Paul, stepped out and faced the crowd, saying sombrely "My son is dead."

There was silence as Paul walked over to where Blaine stood, Kurt tucked into his side and said "I don't blame you for his death. I know he broke the rules of the fight and I know you reacted in self defence. I don't blame you, and I wish you both the greatest joy in the world."

Blaine nodded, speechless at this man's generosity and held out his hand to shake. Paul took it, nodded, and walked back into the infirmary. Kurt was crying quietly and when they were alone, Blaine asked why.

"Because he's dead. I know that means we, and everybody else, is safe, but I'm still sad, because he's dead. His father's all alone now."

Blaine sighed and hugged Kurt "You are such a compassionate person, you know that? It amazes me that you can feel anything other than relief."

"Don't _you_ feel sad?"

"No, like I said, just relieved. We can focus on the wedding now."

Kurt's face lit up and his smile was wide and delighted "I get to plan our wedding. Oh my God, I have so much to do!"

"It's three months away."

Kurt grinned again, but there was an evil edge to it as he said "You have no idea what you've let yourself in for."

* * *

><p>Karofsky's funeral was a week later. All of the knights attended, but neither Kurt nor Blaine could bring themselves to go. It felt like fraud, because honestly, they weren't sorry that he was dead, just sorry in the way he died.<p>

Wedding plans were almost finished by the time Kurt turned nineteen, on the eighth of November and Blaine's present to him was a silver locket in the shape of a Warbler, which when opened had a picture of Blaine inside it. Kurt put it on and swore never to take it off. Finn and Rachel gave Kurt a joint present and it turned out to be arrangements for a honeymoon, a week after the wedding had taken place. Both young men blushed as Rachel told them in no uncertain terms what she expected them to do while _on_ the honeymoon.

Shyly, Kurt wondered what it would be like, reaching that level of intimacy with Blaine. It wasn't as if they were completely celibate, but they hadn't taken the final step yet. It was partially nerves, as both boys were virgins, but also, it was not allowed for Kurt. As a prince, he was expected to be a virgin when he married and no matter how much he wanted it, he had to wait.

There wasn't a huge birthday celebration, as turning nineteen paled in comparison to a wedding, so it was just an comfortable family meal.

A little over two weeks later, Kurt woke up on his wedding day and nearly squealed when he realised. A maid - not Quinn - brought him his breakfast, and as he ate, Finn knocked on the door and came in, dressed in his best man suit, which was his most ornate clothing and he was smiling all over his face.

"How you feeling, little bro?"

"How many times, Finn, I'm older than you. I'm fine."

"Not nervous?"

Kurt laughed as he finished his breakfast "I'm terrified, but I also can't wait. That's normal, right?"

Finn nodded "Yeah, that's totally normal. Rachel said to say good luck and she knows you'll love her singing."

"I'm sure I will."

Kurt dressed carefully, in full ceremonial clothes, before focussing on his face and hair. He knew that Blaine was going to look gorgeous and he was determined not to let him down.

He stepped out of his room and was heading to check on preparations when Finn caught his arm and said "No way. I'm under strict instructions not to let you check on anything. Me, Wes and David will handle everything."

"Why does that not reassure me?"

Finn looked offended "Hey, we're totally responsible!"

Kurt patted his step-brother's shoulder absently "I'm sure you are, Finn. So where are you taking me?"

"To the church. You can check on all of that, and Mercedes will keep you company, but you're not to leave."

Kurt gave in. He knew he would have no chance of escape with Mercedes. The church, as it turned out, had been decorated perfectly, exactly as he had specified, so all he could do was sit and fret while Mercedes tried to distract him.

He heard the guests beginning to arrive, and as he peered out, he spotted all of the Warblers, sitting on Blaine's side of the church, Sam and Quinn, Sam looking rather uncomfortable in his best clothes, Santana and Brittany, both wide-eyed, though Kurt suspected for different reasons, and all of the usual foreign dignitaries, as well as his family sitting in the front row. There were two empty seats on the corresponding side, as both Blaine's parents had declined the invitation. Blaine still hadn't told them who it was he was marrying, so when the article came out in the newspapers, he expected at least one panicky, apologetic letter.

As the time drew near, Mercedes led him back to the front of the church and left him with a quick kiss on the cheek. He and Blaine would be entering together, so Kurt was just waiting for Blaine to show up…

"Hey."

Kurt turned, and stared. Blaine was dressed in a dark blue suit, a three piece with tails. His tie was a lighter shade of blue and Kurt's eyes widened when he realised it was the same shade of blue as his own eyes. Blaine's hair was tamed down again and he was clean shaven. His eyes were shining as he looked over Kurt and both boys stared at each other for a few minutes.

Kurt finally got out a sentence "You look beautiful."

Blaine blushed and replied "Thank you. I'm afraid that beautiful doesn't even begin to cover how you look. You look… the words haven't been invented for how you look."

Kurt blushed and asked "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The church doors opened and as the processional music started, Blaine and Kurt walked slowly in, down the aisle before they reached the minister, who was standing at the altar waiting to perform the ceremony. Wes and David were standing closest to Blaine and Finn was closest to Kurt, in their capacity as best men.

The minister began "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of these two men. Now, before the service begins, let us join together in a song. Traditionally, it would be a hymn, but a certain young prince, who shall remain nameless, decided on something different."

There was soft laughter, before music started playing and everybody sang together, voices blending beautifully, raising the roof of the church.

After the song, the minister began the ceremony by saying "First, I must ask that both of you confirm that you are free to be married this day."

Kurt responded first "I, Kurt Hummel, hereby declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I may not be married today."

Blaine echoed it "I, Blaine Anderson, hereby declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I may not be married today."

The minister then spoke to the congregation, saying "If anyone here present knows of any lawful impediment why they may not be married today, let them speak it now or forever hold their peace."

There was silence before the minister nodded and continued on with the ceremony, turning to Kurt first, as had been decided "Do you, Kurt Hummel, take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, and forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Kurt nodded his eyes never leaving Blaine's as he murmured "I do."

The minister turned to Blaine and repeated the question. Kurt hadn't realised he was holding his breath until Blaine answered clearly "I do."

Kurt's breath left him in a sigh of relief and he couldn't help grinning all over his face. They were so close now.

The minister beckoned Finn forward and Finn handed Kurt the ring that was going on Blaine's finger. It had been a hard thing to find, as both Blaine and Kurt were adamant that they wanted matching rings, but their styles were so different that it was unlikely they'd find one they both liked.

The ring in Kurt's hand now was the compromise. It was just one colour, silver (Kurt had wanted layers of different metals), but it was a beautiful twist of silver, done in the Celtic style (more ostentatious than Blaine would usually wear). It had been one of the only rings that two of them could agree on, and that made it special.

Kurt began his vow as he slid the ring onto Blaine's left hand "Blaine Anderson, with this ring, I thee wed and with it, I bestow upon thee all that I have to offer. I vow to be loving faithful and loyal to you, throughout our lives together."

Blaine's hazel eyes were filled with tears, and Kurt could barely see either through his own tears. They smiled shakily at each other as Wes and David came forward and placed Kurt's ring into Blaine's hand.

Blaine placed the ring onto Kurt's left hand as he said his vow "Kurt Hummel, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and our marriage and with it, I vow to love you, honour and respect you. Whatever life may bring, I will always love you."

Kurt grinned delightedly and with their hands still clasped, they faced the minister as he proclaimed "I hereby pronounce you married and may your lives together be long and blessed on this Earth. You may kiss."

Kurt faced Blaine, tears still in his eyes as Blaine very gently cupped Kurt's face and kissed him softly, Kurt's hands went to Blaine's face to keep him there and kissed back just as softly as the congregation got to their feet in order to applaud the newly-wed couple. They were sat down, hands still tightly clasped as the ceremony was concluded with two readings.

The first was from Mercedes, which was entitled "_What is Love_?"

She spoke out confidently "Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love."

The second one was from Carole, which was entitled "_The Art of a Good Marriage_."

She also spoke confidently, but also with tears in her eyes "Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In marriage the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner."

* * *

><p>They then paraded out of the church and to the reception. The meal was eaten and the speeches made (Burt insisted on making one, which rather unfortunately made Kurt the bride, but at least that meant he got out of making a groom's speech), Wes and David and Finn all enjoying themselves greatly in their Best Men speech. The next step was the bit Kurt had been looking forward to the most. The first dance.<p>

One of the ushers announced it, and Rachel stood up to sing, the song being a favourite of both Kurt and Blaine, not to mention Rachel: Because You Loved Me.

Blaine carefully took Kurt into his arms, one arm around Kurt's waist and the other holding Kurt's hand as they fell into a dance hold and began to waltz, Blaine leading them around the floor to Rachel's admittedly wonderful voice. After the song was finished, the hired musicians took over and all of the couples took to the floor, Rachel and Finn, Burt and Carole, Mike and Tina and Kurt spotted Santana and Brittany dancing together, while Puck and Artie stood to one side, watching. Kurt could also spot some of the Warblers dancing. The closest to him was Alessio, who was dancing with a pretty blonde girl. To one side, Kurt could see Perry silently fuming. After a few more dances in this fashion, Kurt moved over to Alessio and greeted him.

Alessio smiled "Hello, Kurt. Congratulations."

"Thank you. How's Dalton?"

"Quiet now you've left. Kurt, may I introduce my friend, Laura Yates."

Laura curtseyed and Kurt bowed as he said "Pleased to meet you, Miss Yates. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Greatly, Your Highness. Congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you. Are you married?"

"No, Your Highness."

Kurt smiled "You can call me Kurt, Miss Yates, I'm not one to stand on ceremony. Alessio, I think you need to go and talk to Perry. He's been glaring."

Alessio looked over to where Perry leant against the wall, boring holes into anything that got caught in his gaze. Their eyes met and Perry took in Alessio and Laura standing together, before moving towards the exit. Alessio ran after him and caught him by the arm outside.

Perry shrugged off his hand and exclaimed "Leave me alone!"

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Leave _me alone_!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

Perry whirled around, his green eyes flashing angrily as he yelled "You! You are what's wrong! I can't be friends with you anymore, it hurts too much."

Alessio's face fell and he asked quietly "What did I do? I can make it right, Perry, just _please_ don't leave me."

Perry sighed, his anger leaving him as quickly as it came "Nothing. You can't make it right, Alessio, it's not your fault that you're not gay. It just hurts to see you so happy with Laura."

Alessio paled "Happy with Laura? Perry, she's Catarina's oldest friend. I've known her practically since she was born. I'm not with her. She's almost my sister."

"So why did you…?" Perry's face changed suddenly as he worked it out and he hissed "You did it deliberately. You _tortured_ me like this _deliberately_!"

"I was confused!" Alessio pleaded, not even attempting to deny it "I didn't know what was going on. You're my best friend and suddenly I start to wonder what it would be like to hold you or k…"

"Don't say it." Perry growled "Just don't. How long, Alessio? How long have you wondered?"

Alessio swallowed "Eight months."

"Really?" Perry asked sarcastically "I've been in love with you for two-and-a-half years, Alessio, and you expect me to sympathise with you about eight _months_!"

Alessio was crying now "Perry, please, please, just listen to me. I love…"

"No." Perry interrupted "You don't get to say that to me. You have no idea what love is. If you did, you would never have done what you did."

"But, Perry…"

"NO!" Perry shouted the word this time. "Go away, Alessio. I don't want you anywhere near me right now."

Alessio turned away, tears streaming down his face, unaware that Perry was in the exact same state, both of them lovesick and absolutely heartbroken.

Alessio went, but before he did, he said quietly "Sono innamorato di te."

* * *

><p>Perry heard, and it only made his heartache worse. When he went back inside, he saw Kurt and Blaine standing together, with Kurt talking.<p>

"… It was with a lot of help that this occasion even came to pass, so we'd like to thank every person who helped us, but especially Sam Evans, Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce. If Sam would like to come up here, we have a special thing to present you with."

Sam looked confused, but did as he was told and came to stand in front of Kurt and Blaine. With a smirk, Kurt explained "While it is our gift, only my father can give it. Kneel down, Sam."

Sam's eyes widened as he worked out what was going on, Burt walked over with his ceremonial sword and solemnly laid it on each of Sam's shoulders, knighting him.

As Sam got up, shaking a little, Blaine said "You'll move into the barracks and have a steady income. It's the best gift we could think of."

"And now that you have that steady source of income," Kurt added, handing Sam a small box. "You can make a honest woman of my maid."

Both Sam and Quinn blushed as he walked back to her side. The gift for Santana and Brittany was a little simpler, purely monetary to help them carry on running the shop. Everyone who was in the know knew that it was a way to make up for taking Sam away. The celebration continued well into the afternoon, but it wasn't long before Kurt and Blaine had lost interest, their hands always touching, eyes always locked, completely oblivious to the world around them.

It was only after Kurt missed his name being called three times, too busy staring into Blaine's eyes and how the light changed their from green-gold to green-brown and back again, that he reacted.

"Kurt!"

Kurt's head jerked around to look at Rachel, who had her hands on her hips, and asked "What?"

Her face softened "You know, this is your celebration. You - and Blaine - can go whenever you like. Wherever you like. You can do whatever you like as well. You are married, after all."

Kurt looked at her for a few minutes, before a slow smile spread across his face and when he looked at Blaine, the same slow smile was on his face as well. Kurt grasped his hand and together they ran to Kurt's bedroom, breathless with a sudden urgency. They shouldered their way through the door and Kurt closed it by shoving Blaine up against it and fusing their lips together, hands digging into Blaine's shoulders. Blaine's hands were on his hips, pulling him as close as possible as they moaned into each other's mouths and then pressed closer, wanting to dissolve all the barriers between them.

When they finally, _finally_, broke apart to breath, they barely moved apart so that their breathes were mingled together. Blaine took advantage of his slightly greater strength and quicker recovery time to spin them, pushing Kurt up against the door and kissing him with only a little less intensity. Kurt responded instantly, just as eager to allow himself to be dominated as he was to do the dominating.

When they stopped this time, Blaine breathed out "Are you sure about this, Kurt? We can wait. Don't… don't feel as if you _have _to do this right now."

Kurt arched his back, pressing his hips into Blaine's and letting him feel the full extent of his arousal before answering softly "I want to do this, Blaine. It's practically all I've thought about in three months. I want _you_."

* * *

><p>Blaine growled and tugged Kurt off the door, pulling him further into the room and kissing him again, while his hands slid down Kurt's chest, reaching for the buttons on Kurt's shirt, slowly beginning to undo them. Kurt broke the kiss to watch Blaine's strong hands carefully undressing him, before reaching for Blaine's shirt in turn, only stopping to shrug out of his own once Blaine had finished. Blaine hurriedly pulled off his shirt and suddenly, their skin was touching. Blaine's hands were at Kurt's waist, gently stroking the soft skin there, and both of Kurt's hands were in his husband's dark curly hair, tugging gently, before their lips met once again, the passion tempered into something more loving.<p>

Kurt kissed away from Blaine's mouth and moved down the side of his neck and then hovered at his collarbone, lightly biting and kissing and sucking there. Blaine's eyes rolled back in his head at the pleasure, and forced himself to concentrate long enough to return the favour, his mouth working at one of Kurt's pale shoulders as he carefully manoeuvred Kurt around and walked him backwards towards the bed. Kurt felt the edge of the bed against his legs and fell back, pulling Blaine with him, who shifted to the side quickly in order not to crush Kurt.

They lay there, their breathing quick and their faces flushed as they looked at each other, just looked for a few minutes, before Blaine reached out and trailed a hand down Kurt's chest, over his stomach before stopping over the hard bulge in Kurt's pants. Kurt bucked into Blaine's firm hand with a groan and then a whine as Blaine moved his hand, only to moan again encouragingly as Blaine undid his pants and pulled them off, before doing the same to his underwear, leaving Kurt completely exposed.

A groan ripped its way out of Blaine's throat as he looked at the man spread out next to him, cock flushed and erect, just _begging_ to be touched. So with a lick to the palm of his hand, Blaine wrapped his hand around Kurt's cock and began to move, his movements lubricated by the salvia on his palm. Kurt nearly screams because this never, ever gets old, this feeling of Blaine's hand on him and now he really wants to reciprocate, to make Blaine feel as good as he does.

With shaking hands, he urges Blaine closer, so that he's kneeling between Kurt's spread legs, and then Kurt somehow manages to undo Blaine's pants and push them down without completely losing his concentration, before worming his hand inside Blaine's underwear and wrapping around Blaine's hard cock. They gasp simultaneously and suddenly they're kissing again, lips intertwined and pressed together, the heat between still rising, when Blaine decides to up the ante. He plants his hands either side of Kurt's waist and rolls his hips forward so that Kurt can feel every single inch that Blaine has to offer.

Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine's waist and slid his hands around onto Blaine's firm ass, gripping it tightly before thrusting upwards as he dragged Blaine's hips back down. He pushed Blaine's underwear away because right now he needed skin on skin and nothing in between them, nothing hiding any part of themselves away from each other. They rocked together, panting and gasping, whispering each other's names and especially in the case of Blaine, using every profanity they know because this _felt so good_.

It's with considerable effort that Blaine stopped, because he knew that if he carried on for much longer, he'd come and much as he wants to share that with Kurt, this time, he wants them to go all the way, to truly become one. He doesn't even have to ask Kurt, one look at the flushed, dishevelled boy underneath him gives him all the answer he'll ever need.

Wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue (and making Kurt whimper as he watched with lust-blown eyes), Blaine asked huskily "Have you got supplies?"

Kurt nods, unable to formulate a coherent answer and reaches for the bedside table, scrabbling around in the drawer before finding what he was looking for and pressing it into Blaine's hand. It was a small bottle of oil, clearly brand new and not been used before.

When Blaine raised a questioning eyebrow, Kurt responded breathily "Rachel. She likes to interfere."

Blaine couldn't help laugh, and when Kurt joined it, it helped dissipate some lingering nerves. Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt tenderly before asking against his mouth "How do you want us to do this?"

Kurt flushed again, but managed to get out "I… just want you, Blaine, but, but, I think the part of me that wants you… under me… is losing to the part of me that wants you… on top."

Blaine nodded, his hands shaking as he murmured "Roll over for me, onto your stomach."

Kurt did as he was told immediately, trying and failing to conceal an excited shudder. Blaine leant forward and began bestow butterfly kisses all over Kurt's back, starting from the back of his neck and slowly moving down, not depriving even an inch of skin of his attentions, though he seemed to pay special attention to Kurt's shoulder blades, sucking another hickey onto one of them as he mumbled "Now I really believe what I was told about shoulder blades."

"What?"

Kurt felt Blaine smile against his skin as he replied "You weren't told this? Shoulder blades are where your wings were when you were an angel, and where they'll grow again. I never believed in angels until I saw you."

Kurt tried to reply, but the words that were going to form got caught in his throat as Blaine carefully stroked one slick finger over his entrance. Kurt bucked his hips receptively and was rewarded as Blaine slide one finger inside. It didn't hurt as such, it just felt so weird. Blaine's finger moved just as carefully out and he repeated the motion a couple of times, making soft encouraging noises as he coaxed Kurt into relaxing for him as a second finger joined the first. Now it stung a bit, but even now, Kurt wouldn't say it _hurt_ as such.

A harsh noise escaped Blaine's throat as he watched his fingers disappear into his husband's body, into such tightness and heat. The heat was almost palpable around them and Blaine was having to restrain himself so much right now, because all he wanted was to be buried in that heat. He scissored his fingers, stretching Kurt's entrance, before adding a third finger. This time, Kurt flinched, the stretch now painful. Blaine stroked down Kurt's back with his free hand, murmuring reassurances as he held still to allow Kurt to get used to three fingers. When he felt Kurt relax a little, he moved his fingers a little, pushing them a little deeper and crooking them slightly.

Kurt's reaction was a magnificent wail of shock and pleasure, and babbling pleas for Blaine to please, please _do that again_.

With a smile, Blaine obliged, withdrawing his fingers before pushing all three back in, brushing over the same spot. Kurt screamed, pushing his hips back to prolong the touch. Blaine continued like this for as long as he could, but frankly, Kurt's noises were going straight to his cock and if they carried on like this, he would come without ever being inside Kurt, and that's not how he wanted this to end.

Pulling his fingers out, Blaine quickly asked "Are you ready?"

Kurt nodded, but rolled back onto his back with a swift explanation - _I want to see you_ - before hurriedly stuffing a cushion under his hips and spreading his legs again eagerly.

Blaine reached for the oil again, slicking his own cock, before taking himself in his hand and gently but insistently pushing into Kurt's body. The tightness and the heat was incredible around him and Blaine carried on until he was balls deep inside Kurt. He had to stop then, not just because Kurt had thrown his head back and was gritting his teeth in pain, but because if he didn't stop and get a grip, he would have come right there and then. It felt as if he had run a marathon, because he had lost his breath and he couldn't find it. Kurt felt like _heaven_ around him and that simile was totally justified.

Blaine held still for what seemed like forever, but was in reality probably only a couple of minutes, before Kurt hissed desperately "_Move!_"

Blaine withdrew and thrust back in, withdrew and thrust in the same slow, gentle rhythm until Kurt wrapped his long legs around Blaine's hips and used the leverage to push back against Blaine, bringing him even deeper inside Kurt's body and with that, Blaine lost all control, thrusting faster and faster, deeper and deeper, with Kurt making all kinds of wonderful noises mixed in with Blaine's name and the begging for Blaine to just go harder as Kurt stroked his own cock.

Blaine felt himself starting to lose control, and as he leaned over to kiss Kurt, the change in angle made sure that every thrust brushed over that magic spot that made Kurt scream. Blaine came first, his rhythm dissolving as he pushed in as deep as he could go and let himself fall in his orgasm, coming inside Kurt's body with a choked off yell of Kurt's name. When Kurt felt Blaine come inside him, the wet warmth filling him up and making him feel more complete than ever before, that was enough, and Kurt quickly followed with a shout of Blaine's name, his semen splattering all over their stomachs.

There were long moments before either of them could do more than blink and breath, but when they finally could, when their heart rates began to slow and their breathing became more normal again, Blaine gently rolled off Kurt, slipping out of his entrance as Kurt winced at the already present ache of his muscles.

Blaine cupped his face and asked anxiously "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am…"

"Nothing hurts?"

Kurt had to giggle at that "Everything hurts, Blaine, but in a _I just had sex_ kind of way. I feel amazing."

Blaine held him close at that and replied "Me too. That was perfect. I love you so much."

Kurt blushed with pleasure "I love you too. I'm just so…"

"Happy?"

"That is nowhere near strong enough, but seeing as I'm struggling to find the word, I'll go with happy for now."

Blaine smiled and kissed Kurt's ear, before shuffling them under the covers, his arms still wrapped around Kurt's waist as he whispered "I'm never letting go of you."

Kurt watched as Blaine closed his eyes and fell asleep, before snuggling contently into his husband's arms, deciding to ignore the mess they were in for now, because, hey, that just meant they would have to have a bath later, and that just meant the chance of a repeat performance. As Kurt laid his head on Blaine's shoulder and closed his eyes, he knew in his heart that no matter what life threw at them, they would be able to withstand it. They truly and completely belonged to each other now, and nothing and no-one could tear them apart.

For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, they were in this together.

Kurt would have it no other way.

* * *

><p><strong>And now for the epilogue!<strong>


	13. Epilogue

**And it's done. I probably used every cliche in the book in this epilogue, but I truly couldn't resist. I hope you enjoy this as much as you have (hopefully) enjoyed the rest of this story. I am not opposed to carrying on writing in this universe, but I think it's unlikely. Thank you so much for all your support, every fave, watch and review has truly thrilled me to bits. I love you all.**

**I'd also like to say that as of this point, this story has had 8516 hits and 2986 visitors. Wow guys. Just wow.**

**I don't own Glee. I do own their kids :D**

* * *

><p><span>Five Years Later<span>

"Annaliese Jasmine Hudson, you get over here right now, young lady!"

A three year old girl scrambled to her feet, grass stains all over the front of her white dress and ran towards the owner of the voice, her long dark brown hair streaming out behind her.

She jumped into the man's arms and said happily "Look what I got for you, Daddy!"

Finn couldn't help laughing as he took the little bunch of mauve flowers from his daughter's grubby hand and carried her back over the three others, saying firmly "Anna, you've been told not to go out of our sight. Mummy can't move fast anymore, remember?"

Anna nodded and moved to sit next to Rachel, saying "I'm sorry, Mummy."

Rachel, resplendent in a red dress, patted her daughter's head and said "Apology accepted, Anna."

Anna perked up immediately and one of the other two people there also couldn't help laughing. Grinning, Kurt said "She's so like you sometimes, Rachel. I guess Finn better hope this one's a boy, otherwise he'll be completely outgunned."

Rachel rested her head on her five-month pregnant belly and replied "Well, I'd quite like a boy this time. One of each, you know, and then one for good measure."

The fourth and final person present spoke this time "I feel sorry for the third. Like Kurt said, completely outgunned."

Blaine smiled as he said it, so Rachel and Finn knew he was joking. Kurt laughed and linked hands with his husband, leaning into his shoulder as he enjoyed sitting in the little conservatory that led out to the palace gardens with his family, especially his niece. Annaliese, or Anna as she was nearly always called, was the first royal child to be born for the next generation, and as a result, she was undoubtedly spoilt, but she was such a dear little girl that nobody, including her parents, could help it. Kurt was wondering how she was going to deal with a little brother or sister.

With a sigh, Blaine stood up and pulled Kurt to his feet at the same time as he said "Sorry, you three… oh, four technically I suppose, Kurt and I have to go now if we're going to get to Dalton by tomorrow night."

"Oh, yeah." Finn began "I forgot you were going for a visit. Who was it who invited you this time?"

Blaine grinned "Tirrian. Sounded quite keen as well."

"But I can't wait to see them again, it's been nearly three years. Do you know if Thad's going to be there?" Kurt asked.

"According to Wes and David, he can barely stay away."

"Good," Kurt grinned. "It'll be like old times again."

Kurt rode Moran and Blaine rode Shadow and they had a nice leisurely journey, accompanied by Puck and Sam. Sam couldn't stop talking about his little girl, his and Quinn's daughter Beth. She was four years old and the perfect mix of Sam and Quinn. They broke their journey in an inn halfway there, before continuing the next morning and making it to Dalton by late afternoon. They were greeted by Nick, which meant Jeff was on nights this month.

Nick took them straight to the council rooms, where they were greeted by Wes, David and Alessio, who had replaced Thad after he had left to get married. Also in the room was Perry, his eyes fixed on Alessio, a boy of about fifteen and a young teacher who Kurt belatedly recognised as a nineteen year old Llewellyn Moss, one of Kurt's former students.

Wes saw them first and said dismissively to the student "You can leave now, Drew. We'll finish this later, after the council had discussed your punishment."

Drew scurried out, followed more slowly by Llewellyn, who bowed to Kurt and Blaine and grinned. Once the door was closed, Wes got up and came to greet them happily. There was a frantic next ten minutes as everyone caught up with everything that was going on. Kurt was talking to Alessio and Perry, smiling at the two of them as Alessio casually took Perry's hand and Perry kissed his cheek affectionately.

Kurt and Blaine met the rest of them at dinner. In the past five years, some of the Warblers they had known had moved on and away. Thad, Ronan, Christopher, Mayhew and Garrett had all married and gone back to their estates. In their places had come Kurt's old students Lionel and Llewellyn Moss, who had taken over the teaching posts of bush craft and horse-riding respectively, seeing as Alessio was on the council and Perry, as the oldest Warbler, was now the official counselor. There were three other young men that Kurt didn't know, one to take over the post of swordplay teacher, one as a second horseman and one as an assistant to Oliver, to help teach archery. They were all in their early twenties and all their eyes went comically wide to see the Crown Prince and his husband sitting at the table with them. There was also one other young man, who looked vaguely familiar to Kurt. The confusion was cleared when Alessio laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and introduced him as his eighteen year old brother, Ilario Salvatori.

Thad wasn't there, but Wes and David promised he was due within the next couple of days.

It was nice to be back amongst friends. Kurt and Blaine took the opportunity to call on Blaine's mother and father, both of whom had done exactly what Blaine had predicted they would do, which was try to get back into Blaine's good graces the minute they found out he had actually married a member of the Royal family. His father had gone so far to say that as it was Kurt, it was all right that Blaine had married a man. Needless to say, Blaine had not been impressed, but he kept in contact with them anyway. They were his parents and he did love them.

The pair also walked around Dalton, seeing what had changed since they had last been here together, five years ago. Not much had. The classes were run a little differently, and the faces conducting them were a little less familiar, but the buildings and the grounds were practically identical. They were even sleeping in the same room as last time.

* * *

><p>On the day that Thad was due to arrive, Kurt and Blaine had decided to go riding, and to really push themselves. They hadn't had one of their overly competitive races in years, seeing as they were supposed to be acting with a little more dignity that became a royal couple. But they still had their irrational moments, and this was one of them.<p>

They had raced through the forest, ducking branches and jumping logs, whooping and yelling and laughing the entire time. For the final race, they were back out onto the road, and the winner was the first person to touch Dalton's gates. They set off, acting like a couple of teenagers egging each other one.

It was in the outskirts of Westerville that the accident happened. Another horse and rider were coming from another direction and no-one spotted the other in time. The horses panicked and while Kurt managed to stay on, Blaine was thrown quite spectacularly, which in turn set off the stranger's horse, and so he fell quite heavily.

When Kurt got there, the stranger was checking Blaine over, and he wasn't such a stranger. It was Thad.

Kurt knelt down by Blaine's other side and asked urgently "How do you feel?"

"My head's fuzzy." Blaine gritted out "And I think I've broken my ankle."

The joint in question was bent at a rather funny angle, and Kurt went distinctly green when he saw it.

Thad spoke up then, huffing "Nice to see you two again, by the way. Interesting greeting, Blaine, trying to knock me off my horse."

Blaine laughed, then hissed as his leg was jostled. Thad looked solemn "There's no way he can ride like that. I'll get on my horse, get Dalton to send a carriage. I'll be as quick as I can."

"Are _you_ okay?" Kurt asked quickly.

"I'm fine, just winded."

Thad remounted his horse and rode off quickly. Kurt sat by Blaine, letting his husband rest his head on Kurt's shoulder. He wasn't too worried about Blaine drifting off to sleep, he was in too much pain for that. Kurt wasn't sure whether that should be comforting or not.

As Thad promised, he was back soon, and together, he and Kurt manoeuvred Blaine into the carriage. Kurt wanted to ride with him, but couldn't, as he had to get both his and Blaine's horses back to Dalton as well. Once they were there, Kurt put the horses back into their stables and raced to the infirmary.

Blaine was sitting on a bed, with Tirrian attempting to straighten out the broken bones, while Blaine gripped the sides of the bed tightly. Thad was hovering nearby and an unfamiliar man was watching the ankle carefully while he hands were busy mixing something in a bowl.

Kurt immediately went to Blaine's side and knelt down next to him, asking frantically "Is there nothing you can give him to ease the pain?"

"No, he's had it." Tirrian answered immediately "Hi, by the way."

The unfamiliar man walked over and introduced himself as a doctor, before taking Tirrian's place and feeling the bone himself, before getting Tirrian to help him run bandages through whatever mixture was in the bowl and wrap them around Blaine's ankle, until the ankle was four times its size and Tirrian and the doctor were covered in the remains of the mixture.

At Kurt's raised eyebrow and silent question, Tirrian explained "The mixture will harden and hold the leg and the bone still. It's not perfect, so Blaine will have to stay here."

Kurt groaned and threaded his fingers through Blaine's curly, sweaty hair. Blaine's face was pale and his eyes were shut, lines bracketing his mouth and eyes in pain as he leaned into Kurt's touch. The doctor gave him something to eat, to help with the pain, before leaving. Tirrian left the couple alone with a nod, promising to come back and check on Blaine.

Kurt pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead and asked "How are you feeling?"

Blaine swallowed with a grimace "I'll feel better once this has kicked in. After that, I imagine I'll just feel stupid. At least you weren't hurt."

Kurt shook his head "Not physically, but when I saw you lying there, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I was terrified I'd lost you."

Blaine smiled a little "It'd take more than that to make me leave your side."

"Speaking of which, do you think Tirrian will let me sleep here tonight?"

"No, I don't. He'll be worried about my ankle getting moved and frankly, so will I. It hurts."

Kurt pouted jokingly "I see how it is, Blaine Anderson-Hummel. I see it."

Blaine laughed at Kurt's expression and said "If it makes you feel better, hearing you call me that still makes me melt, The fact that I'm yours…"

"And you're mine." Kurt finished softly "I know. I still get the same way every time I look at our rings. It's a real pity I couldn't take your name as well."

Blaine shrugged "I don't care. You don't need my name."

Kurt smiled widely, before leaning down and kissing Blaine firmly, hands still wound into Blaine's dark hair. Blaine kissed back and it was in that position that Tirrian found them.

After making the appropriate amount of protests, Tirrian informed Blaine that he could sleep if he wanted, but no, Kurt couldn't join him and he would have to be woken every hour for twelve hours because of his concussion.

It was eleven pm before Tirrian gave Blaine the all-clear and allowed him to sleep. Blaine did sleep, but not for long, as the pain woke him again. He shifted restlessly for a few minutes, his eyes closed in a vain attempt to get back to sleep, until a soft voice asked "Are you alright?"

Blaine opened his eyes to see a young woman standing by his bedside, one hand holding a candle and the other resting on her heavily pregnant stomach. Her hair was reddish-blonde in the candlelight and her eyes were a light brown as she looked at him worriedly.

"Are you alright, Your Highness? Would you like something for the pain?"

Blaine managed to stutter out an affirmative and the woman - really, she wasn't much more than a girl - moved to where Tirrian kept all his supplies.

She came back and handed Blaine something to chew, saying reassuringly "Don't worry, I know what it is. I've watched Tirrian work for months now."

Blaine took it, grimacing at the foul taste before saying "Thank you, Miss…?"

The girl curtseyed awkwardly "Lady Stefanie Grayson, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Lady Grayson. Please, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Call me Blaine."

Stefanie smiled "Then call me Stefanie."

Blaine smiled back "It's a deal, Stefanie. Please sit down. You look ready to drop. I'm sorry if I woke you."

Stefanie sat down on the edge of the bed and replied "You didn't. This baby is due within the week and it keeps waking me up. It's very uncomfortable."

Blaine nodded in sympathy "Is this your first child?"

Stefanie's hand tightened momentarily on her stomach before nodding and replying "And my last."

"Do you and your husband not want any more children?"

Stefanie bit her lip, pain on her face as she answered "We did. My husband, Frederick Grayson, is dead. He died a few days after I told him I was pregnant."

Blaine patted her hand, and Stefanie smiled weakly "It was a jousting accident. Frederick was so excited to be coming home and then on one of the last jousts, he was unseated and fell badly. He never got back up again."

Stefanie had tears in her eyes, so Blaine quickly moved the conversation onwards by asking "So why are you here? I would have thought a training school would be the last place to have a baby."

Stefanie laughed faintly "Frederick was one of Tirrian's best friends and he made him promise that if something should happen to him, he would take care of me and any children we may have. I have no parents to stay with, and Frederick's parents are gone as well. The estate has been passed to a younger brother, who wants nothing to do with me. I have nowhere else to go."

Blaine nodded "So Tirrian is taking care of you here. What will you do once the baby is born?"

Stefanie shrugged "I don't know. All I know is that I will not give him up. This baby's the only thing I have left of Frederick, beyond a picture."

Stefanie held out a locket, in which there was a miniature of a man with dark brown hair and blue eyes and a wide smile. It was a handsome face and Blaine said so, drawing another laugh from Stefanie, who said "He had one of me as well. He would wear it everywhere."

They talked for a few minutes longer, before Stefanie went back to her bed and the two of them fell asleep. It was the oddest encounter Blaine had ever had. Stefanie was only young, she could barely be more than twenty, but she was also mature, perhaps too mature, for she had gone through things that women twice her age could barely imagine.

* * *

><p>The next morning, when Tirrian came to check on Blaine, accompanied by Kurt, once Stefanie was out of the room, Blaine asked "Tirrian, why didn't you tell me about Stefanie?"<p>

"You spoke?"

Blaine nodded.

"And did you like her?"

Blaine nodded again "She seems like a very sensible and mature young lady. How long ago did she lose her husband?"

Tirrian sighed "Frederick died seven months ago now. She told you how, I assume?"

"Yeah. What's she going to do?"

Tirrian ran a hand through his blond hair and replied lowly "She's not likely to be doing anything. Stefanie's very weak. There's very little chance she will survive the birth of this child."

Kurt's face paled at the news "She can't be more than twenty."

"She's twenty one, but that's besides the point. If Stefanie dies, which it is more likely than not that she will, the child will have to go to an orphanage. There is nobody here who could take care of a newborn baby."

Blaine looked over at the bed where Stefanie had slept and murmured "She doesn't know, does she?"

"No. The doctor and the midwife both said that telling her would cause her too much stress and risk the baby as well."

Kurt looked at Tirrian and asked "Tirrian, why are you telling us all of this?"

"Because I thought that maybe you could spare the child having to go to an orphanage."

Kurt looked surprised, the direct answer clearly not what he was expecting "You want us to adopt Stefanie's baby?"

"Yes. I know you need an heir and if the child is a boy, that solves your problem."

"Tirrian, my father is still alive. I don't expect to inherit any time soon, let alone any child Blaine and I may adopt! We've only just even started discussing the possibility of a child!"

Tirrian ducked his head "I'm sorry, Kurt. I promised to look after Stefanie and her baby. I can't do anything to save her, but I thought if I did the best I could for her and Frederick's child, it would make up for losing Stefanie."

Kurt nodded and said in a softer tone "Just… just let Blaine and I talk about it, okay?"

Tirrian nodded and left.

The two men looked at each other for a little while before Blaine tentatively asked "Kurt, I thought you wanted children? You… you said you did, before."

"I do, Blaine, I really do, but I never expected it to be quite this soon! It's all just so sudden, like it's being forced onto us. Even if we did decide to, taking Stefanie's baby like this feels so predatory somehow, as if we're stealing it. I'd feel terrible."

"But if we _did_ take this child… Kurt, you can't deny we could give it a good life."

Kurt shook his head "I don't deny it. I'd love to have a child with you, but do you really think we're ready for fatherhood?"

Blaine nodded firmly "I do. Don't tell me you don't look at Anna or Beth and think that you'd want to be a parent?"

"Wanting is completely different to being ready!"

Blaine shrugged "I'm not going to force it with you, Kurt. You have to want it too. But I truly think that we could be wonderful parents to a boy or a girl and Stefanie's baby needs a family. Look into your heart."

Kurt sighed and thought about it. Really thought about it. Honestly thought about it and to his surprise, he found himself saying "I agree. We're stable enough to bring a child into our family, but I won't do it without Stefanie's consent. When Tirrian comes back, that's what we tell him."

The decision was made. When Tirrian came back, Kurt and Blaine told him exactly what they'd discussed and although Tirrian resisted telling Stefanie the truth, after talking to the midwife, he had to accept that it wouldn't do any damage now.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt and Blaine asked for privacy so that they could talk to Stefanie. Only Tirrian was going to be present. As Blaine still couldn't be moved, it took place in the infirmary.<p>

Tirrian was the first to speak "Stefanie, before Kurt and Blaine talk to you, there's something I need to tell you. Four months ago, the doctor told me…"

Stefanie interrupted with a sad smile on her face "Is this when you tell me I'm going to die?"

Tirrian was shocked into silence. Stefanie continued "I knew, Tirrian. Not four months ago, but for the past month, I've sensed I don't have enough strength to have this baby and live myself. I know that, so what do Kurt and Blaine want?"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance before Blaine said quietly "We'd like your permission to adopt your baby."

Stefanie frowned "You won't need my permission."

"It felt wrong." Kurt explained "Just taking the baby without your permission. You could have a better idea."

Stefanie shook her head "I would love it if you two became this baby's parents. I think you'll be brilliant. If I could make one request?"

"Anything." Blaine promised.

"Will you tell him or her about me and Frederick? Show him or her our portraits, make sure he or she knows our names, that kind of thing?"

Kurt nodded, tears in his eyes "Of course, Stefanie. We'll tell him every day."

Stefanie laughed a little "Once a week will be fine. I don't want to detract from you as parents."

"Knowing that you loved him or her won't do that." Blaine said firmly.

Stefanie nodded and stood up awkwardly as she said "If you don't mind, I need to go for a walk… just… to say goodbye, okay?"

Tirrian stood up "Of course. Do you want to be alone, or should I…?"

"You can come along, Tirrian. I probably shouldn't be left alone this close to popping."

It turned out to be a sensible precaution. A week later, only a few days overdue, Tirrian ran to find Kurt to inform him that Stefanie had gone into labour. Both the doctor and the midwife were there and although they were allowed to be in the same room (mainly because Blaine couldn't be moved), it was Tirrian who was by Stefanie's side as her contractions got longer and closer together. Both men were wincing at the groans and screams, but after twelve hours, Stefanie gave one more drawn-out groaning scream and suddenly a baby's cries filled the air.

The baby was wrapped in a blanket and placed in Stefanie's arms, who cradled the little bundle close, staring into the newborn's eyes before whispering "Kurt, come here."

Kurt crossed the room with shaky legs and stood by Stefanie's bed as she carefully placed the child into Kurt's arms and said "Here. Now he is your son."

Kurt looked down at the boy, his pink face all scrunched up in sleep, a light dusting of dark hair just visible underneath the blanket. He fitted neatly into Kurt's arms and Kurt felt himself instantly fall in love. He carried the baby back over to Blaine and watched his husband also immediately fall in love.

Blaine wrapped one arm around Kurt's waist and whispered with awe "That's our son, Kurt. That's our _son_."

Kurt watched Blaine with the little boy for a few moments, before leaving him holding their son as he want back over to Stefanie's bedside. She was very pale now, so Kurt took her hand and began to speak, determined not to leave her.

"Stefanie Grayson. Words cannot express what you have done for Blaine and I today. I can't begin to thank you, or to apologise to you for never having the chance to see your boy grow up. He is perfect in every way, Stefanie. I swear to you, not a day will go by when we don't tell of you, and how brave you were, and how strong, and how courageous. He will know how much you loved him, and how much his father loved him, and how it was through no choice of yours that you left him. He will want for nothing and I promise you, he will have the very best life Blaine and I can give him, full of acceptance, laughter and love."

Kurt took a breath, tears in his eyes as he watched the life slip away from Stefanie. There was just one more thing he needed to say.

"We will never forget you, Stefanie and neither will he. Blaine and I have decided to name him Gabriel Stephen Frederick. Frederick after his father. Stephen after you."

It was in that moment that Kurt saw the life leave Stefanie Grayson forever.

On the 5th of January, at 6pm, Gabriel Stephen Frederick Anderson Hummel was born. A little over fifteen minutes later, his mother was dead.

* * *

><p>The funeral was a week later. Blaine couldn't attend, still under orders to stay in bed, but Kurt went, holding Gabriel in his arms the whole time. He had sent a message to Burt, explaining what had happened, and had received a reply that had basically consisted of Burt's excitement to meet his grandson. It was yet another week before the doctor gave Blaine permission to travel, and Burt sent the royal carriage to pick the two of them up.<p>

As they were waiting, Blaine and Kurt were with the Warblers, who were taking it in turns to hold Gabriel and coo over him. His eyes were still the dark blue of a newborn, but Kurt and Blaine were eagerly waiting to see if they changed.

At the moment, Alessio held Gabriel, making it seem so easy. With a laugh, Alessio explained that having five younger siblings made you very used to babies. Perry was standing behind Alessio's chair, one hand resting on Alessio's shoulder and the other gently touching Gabriel's cheek, as if the baby would disappear before his eyes. As they shared a shy look, Oliver burst out laughing and it wasn't long before Wes and David joined in.

With a teasing smile, Kurt asked "So, when's the wedding?"

Perry glared, but Oliver added "It's true! The three of you make such a cute little family. Come on, Perry, it's time to make a honest man out of your Alessio."

Both Alessio and Ilario were blushing, Ilario probably through second hand embarrassment and Perry made to move, but Alessio caught his hand, stood and gently kissed him, carefully holding Gabriel out of the way.

When they broke apart, Alessio handed Gabriel back to Blaine and said firmly "This has worked for the past two years. I see no reason to change it if we don't want to."

Alessio sat back down next to Perry and murmured quietly "But I would marry you if you asked."

Only Ilario heard, and he refused to repeat it.

The carriage arrived two days later and the three of them set off. Blaine was holding Gabriel close and feeding him, whispering nonsensical words to him as he did.

Kurt watched his husband as his son and wished he could go back in time to see his sixteen year old self and tell him what would happen. Despite all of the trials and hardships, Kurt could not be more content.

Right now, in this carriage, he was home.


End file.
